#Danny watches Star Wars Visions

[spockvarietyhour]

Star Wars: Visions "In The Stars"

[radiance1]

Something inspired by this post and this song.

Danny blinked as everything around him seemed to pause. Mist escaping past his lips and he looked at the still branch outside of the window.

Hands rested over his shoulders. "My dearest child." Clockwork's spoke from behind him, and Danny stilled. "Won't you join? We can get you out this little predicament binding you by human law."

"No." Danny huffed, resolutely staring out of the window. "I don't want to. You made me try so hard to avoid my bad future, and now you just want me to do something like that?"

"My dear boy," Clockwork flew in front of him, cupping Danny's face in gentle hands. "Your alternate future destroyed this world and as such, the Observants wanted you dead. It would have been unfair for you to be killed for a mere possible future."

Danny scoffed. "You only interfered because you saw a future with me with at your side." Danny scowled, wanting to pull back from Clockwork's hands but found that he couldn't. He scowled a bit more at his body's betrayal, sinking into the touch instead of pulling away.

"I will not lie to you, I had indeed interfered because of such." Clockwork slowly rubbed comforting circles on the boy's cheeks. "But also because you are my child, even if you were then, you would have been eventually. It is a parent's duty to protect their child, is it not?"

Danny wanted to refute that. But the memories of his parent's death at the hands of the GIW for him caused the words to be stuck in his throat. The images of both their and his sister and friend's bodies caused his vision to blur.

He choked down the tears.

"My poor child," Clockwork rested his forehead against Danny's own, a comforting gesture. "To have faced such cruelty at human hands, and for your own human donor to deny you your grief." Clockwork smiled. "Just let us help you, come to our side and we shall make it all go away."

Danny stayed silent for a moment, a small part of himself feeling guilty over wanting Clockwork's touch but a larger part wanting it anyway. "No." Danny breathed out harshly. "They don't deserve to die just because of that."

They don't.

If he says it enough, it'll stay true.

No matter what happens.

Clockwork leaned back, hands falling from his face and Danny had to force himself not to follow the touch as Clockwork circled behind him.

"I am willing to ask as many times as it takes, for you will join us eventually." Danny hated the certainty in the ghost's tone, but couldn't help but push his head into the hand that patted his head. "A piece of advice, however. War is not as patient as I am."

And with those parting words, Clockwork disappeared. Time resuming at once with Danny still sat on his bed. He flopped onto his back, head hitting the pillows as he turned on his side. He stared at his hands silently, before turning one palm up as ice danced up from his palm, slowly taking shape into lifelike versions of his family.

Alive and happy.

A small smile grew on his face he watched. Fighting against living food that Danny had once disliked.

What he wouldn't give to have it all back.

A knock broke him from his starring, and the ice collapsed in his hand.

"Master Danny?" Alfred's voice came from the other side of the door, causing Danny to frown. "Would you be joining us for lunch?"

Danny wanted to say no. He didn't want to interact with anyone in this stupid family.

Danny hated how he couldn't say no without one of them making it into some kind of problem.

So what if he hasn't eaten in a few days? He would live.

Danny sighed, standing up from his bed and silently staring at the door before he got up. He stared at the bracelet on his wrist for a moment as he grabbed onto the doorknob, the one that limited his power extremely, and opened the door.

He stared up at the pleasantly surprised expression on the butler's face, before looking away as he started to lead him towards the kitchen.

[obscuregenderenvy]

No Man (But You): Additional scene

Peter had had a long day, and if he was honest with himself he did not want to patrol later. He was so tired he didn't even notice the person occupying his couch when he got home, or the fact that the door that was broken only last night was now fixed perfectly.

He actually has his shirt half over his head and covering his eyes before the intruder makes himself known.

A wolf whistle and a shout.

"Woo! Petey I didn't know you were shredded under that nerdy little outfit!" Wade, his neighbor, was apparently in his apartment.

Peter quickly shoves his shirt back down to cover himself, face red in embarrassment and anger.

"Wade!?" Peter's glare could level cities, but Wade just laughs and lounges back further into Peter's couch. "What are you doing here?"

"I broke the door, I fixed the door." Wade's smile is contagious even with how dead on his feet Peter is.

"Oh- I... Thank you." Peter doesn't know what else to say so they just stare in silence for a moment.

In that moment Peter realizes he's probably not getting a choice in going on patrol or not because Wade is very hard to get rid of normally but after last night he doubts Wade will accept any reason Peter would give for him to leave. His head throbs and an aura forms in the corners of his vision. He tries to adjust glasses that he hasn't needed since the spider bite, managing to just poke himself between his eyes.

"Mhmm, now would you please sit down before you pass out." Wade's voice is suddenly serious and Peter watches the world fisheye for a second before Wade is snatching him by the arm and pulling him towards the couch.

Peter lands roughly, his face pressed into the thread bare pillows that line his couch and one leg twisted oddly.

"Hey!" His protest is eaten by the couch, he lifts his head and glares at Wade.

"You were going ghost Danny," Wade jokes then looks at Peter with full seriousness. "When did you eat last?"

"Uh? I definitely had breakfast." Peter thinks he did at least.

"I doubt you had one good enough to make up for the blood loss. Which I cleaned up that stain, and the others. Which I would love an explanation on that seemed like a lotta blood Bambi." Wade's rambling just picks up as Peter walks away from him, his plan is to search through the kitchen and try to come up with a plan.

He needs to find a way to cancel on Deadpool without Wade seeing him. Keeping his secret identity is going to be an issue if Wade decides to be a permanent fixture in his life. Even though his intentions are sweet, he doesn't realize how much of a problem he's being for Peter.

"Hello! Earth to Peter? Calling Moon Man!" Wade's voice breaks through the whirlwind thoughts.

"Huh?" Peter stops and turns to look at Wade.

"I said I ordered a pizza, figured you'd be back by now." Wade frowns and waves a hand at Peter, gesturing come here. With out thinking Peter returns to the couch.

Wade grabs his arm again but the pull is expected and more gentle this time. Peter allows his neighbor (friend?) to pull him down next to him. Wade casually drapes an arm over his shoulders and knocks their heads together softly.

"So brown eyes, let's watch a movie while we wait!" Wade acts like they do this all the time, like Peter knew he would be here and have food on the way.

It's too much for his tired brain, so he just goes with it. He lets Wade prattle on about nothing while looking through his DVD collection until the knock on the door signals the pizza's arrival.

Wade insists on Star Wars so they watch that while they eat, eventually Wade gets up to use the bathroom and Peter uses that moment to use Spider-Man's phone to text Deadpool that he's staying in tonight. Only to see he already received a text from DP already saying the same thing. Well he actually said something far more vulgar than Peter would have but whatever.

By the time they finish the movie Peter is over tired and almost loopy from it. When he felt it coming on he tried to kick Wade out but it didn't work. Wade just amped up the jokes. When Peter tried to wrestle him off the couch he ended up in a head lock he would need Spider Strength to get out of so he relented and let Wade put on the next movie.

They settle back in and Peter doesn't mean to but he ends up with his head resting on Wade's shoulder. The weirdly familiar smell of gunpowder and leather soothing him in a way he can't even admit to himself. The last coherent thought he has before falling asleep on Wade's shoulder is that he should go to bed but that Wade was so warm and so comfortable.

When he wakes up in bed in the morning still wearing his clothes from the day before he's confused for a long time until he gets a vague memory of Wade carrying him to bed and then leaving last night. He was surprised the other man was willing to care for him like that. It has been a long long time since Peter had someone tuck him into bed sleeping.

He's thinking it over when there's the sound of a key in his door, that sends him shooting out of bed and grabbing his baseball bat in seconds. He sets his feet and ignores the twinge in his arm from his slash wound.

When the door finally swings open to reveal Wade standing there, key in hand, looking at least somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh, you're up!" Wade's moment of guilt is quickly washed away with a smirk.

"Why do you have a key?" Peter lowers the bat but doesn't put it away. This guy can say all the right things all he wants. He can tuck Peter into bed or whatever, but he's drawing a line here- so help him.

"I figured it would save me from shelling out for another door in the future pretty boy. But if property damage is your thing who am I to deprive you!" Wade wags his hairless eyebrows at Peter. Startling a laugh from deep in his chest.

"Why would you need to break my door down again?" Peter switches the bat from hand to hand, the pros and cons of letting this happen screaming through his still groggy brain.

"I won't. I have a key now," he continues to grin at Peter.

"Knock first."

"Never gonna happen." Wade finally enters the apartment. "But I can respect the deadbolt."

Peter eyes the other man carefully. It's not like Peter couldn't handle him if he needed to, it's just the whole secret identity thing that makes this not okay. For some reason he does trust Wade. A little at least.

"C'mon Parker I swear it's just for emergencies. What if you get locked out!"

"You'll respect the deadbolt?" He's so hesitant about this, but his Spidey Senses remain quiet so this can't be too bad an idea. Right?

"At first!" Wade holds a hand up like a boy scout swear, but he crosses his fingers and smiles. Peter just narrows his eyes before placing the bat back in its not hiding place.

[brooklynislandgirl]

10 Fandoms / 10 Characters / 10 Tags

Tagged By: my loves @kylo-wrecked and @tangleweave Tagging: Anyone who feels like they need one more Sunday this weekend.

~*~*~*~

I. Marvel: Beta-Ray Bill, Eddie Brock/Venom, Doctor Strange, Phil Coulson, Vision, Groot, Spider-Man {Peter Parker}, Gambit, Doctor Morbius, Bucky Barnes. M'Baku {Hate the moniker of 'Man-Ape'}. Magneto. Loki. Night Crawler. Frank "Punisher" Castle. Colossus. Danny "Iron Fist" Rand. Foggy Nelson. Ghost Rider {Both Johnny Blaze and Robbie Reyes, "Caretaker" Carter Slade}. I know that's more than 10. Whatever, I do what I want. >.> II. DC: Lex Luthor, Nanaue {King Shark}, Martian Man Hunter, John Constantine, The Joker, Jonathan Crane, Morpheus {Dream of the Endless}, Death of the Endless, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Bane, Swamp Thing, Green Lantern. Cisco Ramon. Hunter Zoloman.

I absolutely blame @nightmarefuele for at least two of these.

III. Star Wars: Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Admiral Piett. Kylo Ren. Wedge Antilles. Kit Fisto. Han Solo. Chewbacca. Jocasta Nu. Darth Rivan {not to be confused with Darth Revan}. Jos Vondar. Jango and Boba Fett, and of course, all my 10,000,000,000 Clone children. No I will not be taking questions.

IV. Star Trek: Worf, Martok, Gowron, Chancellor Gorkon, Kurn, Dr McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, Chekhov, Chris Pike, Ortegas, Nurse Chapel, Geordie La Forge, Riker, Data, Lore, Chief O'Brien, Q, Benjamin Cisco, Garak, Gul Dukat, Quark. V. Firefly: Mal Reynolds, Jayne Cobb, Hobun Washburne, Zoe Washburne, Shepherd Book, Kaylee Frye, YoSafBridge, Adalai Niska, Badger, Jubal Early Take my life, take my land, take me where I cannot stand. I don't care 'cause I'm still free, you can't take the sky from me. {{My coat has always been a little...brownish.}

VI. The Walking Dead: Shane Walsh, Daryl and Merle Dixon, Michonne Hawthorne, Abraham Ford, Glenn Rhee, The Governor, Bob Stookey, Ezekiel, Dwight, Aaron, Morgan Jones. VII. Justified: Raylan, Boyd, Ava, Art, Rachel, Tim, Dewey Crowe, Johnny Crowder, Loretta McCready, Robert Quarles, Ellstin Limehouse, Mags Bennett, Devil, Jean Baptiste, Boon, Willa, Carolyn, Sweety... oh so many. VIII. Yellowstone: John, Jamie, Beth, Kayce Dutton, Rip Wheeler, Jimmy Hurdstrom, Thomas Rainwater, Mo Brings Plenty, Lloyd, Colby, Teeter, Jake, Ethan, Angela Blue Thunder, Malcolm Beck. IX. Law & Order- Alphabet Soup: Captain Cragen, Lenny Briscoe, Mike Logan, Anita Van Buren, Jack McCoy. Rey Curtis, Ed Green, Arthur Branch, Cyrus Lupo, Kevin Bernard, Frank Cosgrove, Jalen Shaw. Elliot Stabler, Olivia Benson, Odafin Tutuola, John Munch, Chester Lake, Melinda Warner, Amanda Rollins, Rafael Barba, Dominick Carisi, Peter Stone, Bobby Goran. I have seen literally every episode of the American Law & Order franchise Original, SVU, CI, OC, etc...with the first three watched multiple times. While I often wouldn't call it my most favourite show...it's probably my most favourite shows.

X. The Lord of the Rings: Boromir and Faramir, Éomer and Éowyn, Theoden King, Theodred, Gimli, Pippin, Sam, Meriadoc, Fangorn {Treebeard}, Beorn, Celebrimbor, Bard the Bowman, Dwalin, Celeborn, Denethor, Gil-Galad king, Fingolfin, The Watcher in the Water, Maedhros, Finwe, Manwe...and I could go on for years. My first true fandom as we know it {probably Arthurian Legend was my first and truest fictional love}, and one I have been faithful to for over 25 years. Honestly never please talk to me about it, because I have rabid opinions about literally everything. And lastly, I only included tv/movies here because books and rpgs would require an entire three or four Long Ass Posts all of their own. Much Love.

[maebird-melody]

Tag game~

Tag someone you want to know about and/or some of your besties!

Thank you @aowyn for the tag! Tag games are so much fun. 😊

Favorite color: teal! I also love orange, but mainly because it plays nice with my skin tone. But given the choice, I’ll always choose objects that are some variation of blue-green.

Last song: Lanterns Lit by Son Lux but also technically a song I wrote myself as I listened back to my demo recording for it

Last movie: does Over the Garden Wall count if you watch it all in one sitting? Otherwise probably whatever I watched last with my parents back in August.

Currently watching: Link Click. Found it through fanart that I thought was Danny Phantom fanart. It’s very dark but fun. Also just finished Mandalorian and started Star Wars Visions season 2.

Other stuff I watched this year: the miraculous movie, rewatched Loki season 1 and OFMD season 1, Good Omens season 2, all of Boku no Hero back in March while sewing a cosplay, rewatched a lot of Clone Wars while quilting, DetCo, SpyxFamily, My Happy Marriage, RTTE, Spiderverse so many times, MLB, My Adventures with Superman (it’s so good!), Trigun, more stuff I’m sure

Shows I dropped this year: at least one show that had an interesting premise but was too much fan service. Duke of Death? I didn’t make it far idk if that’s the title

Currently reading: I follow the prepub for Ascendance of a Bookworm so I’m reading a chapter every week for that, I’m also reading The Girl in the Tower, tried reading The Cruel Prince but dropped it pretty quickly, Witch Hat Atelier, various comic books, and I’ve got a To Read pile that’s waaay too high

Currently listening to: Nothing, I’m in bed

Currently working on: too many projects. I’m writing a book (well, I’ve written a book already) that I’m also illustrating, but since I’m in 3 fan fiction events I haven’t had time to do the artwork. I have a con in 2 weeks so I’m doing minor tweaks to my Hypnos cosplay to make it more presentable

Current obsessions: low key Spider-Man is always there in the background, but I think my all-consuming hyperfixations have calmed somewhat. Current active interests are Ascendance of a Bookworm, Danny Phantom, Hades (and Hypnos specifically), and Pathfinder.

Tagging @tundra-tiger @seaglass-skies @bibliophilea @madam-buffalo @misstooni

[yestolerancepro]

Tolerance Project extra Thank you for the music Part one From John Williams to John Barry

Introduction

Hello there Ben Brown here welcome to a new version of a blog called Thank you for the music which looks at the soundtrack we created for the Tolerance film 25 years ago.  

45 seconds We begin with our first film spoof, Star Wars, when the film starts with the standard Star Wars opening crawl.

 Instead of the Crawl telling you about the on going battles with the Rebel Alliance and the Evil Empire it tells you about what you can expect to see over the next 25 mins. Tolerance in most cases uses original music from a number of film and TV shows, raided from my music collection.  

You can find a complete playlist of all the music used in Tolerance here The soundtrack totals 32 mins of music. If you don’t like the film soundtrack its all my fault and I am sorry ha ha https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye8KvYKn9-0&list=PLPMadem14HDA4VfaekTC3gszEtwWfyGLQ

1 minute 22 seconds with the Star Wars music still playing, we get a nice opening shot of our leading man, David Smith,who plays our hero Robert who is fast asleep, clutching a book about the latest Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace (episode I), with his wheelchair close by.

1 minute 47 seconds After the introduction of our leading man, we get the introduction of our leading lady, Claire Abbot, playing Julie. Like David Smith, Claire gives a great performance and I would love to meet her again. If you can help me find Claire, I would be most grateful, as I have not been able to find out any information about what she is doing now. Sadly, this is a recurring theme in Tolerance.

The use of Perfect Day is a romantic theme in the film. I wanted to use the all star Children in Need version, from 1997 but Richard Hellawell went with the original Lou Read version. I have to admit in hindsight that I think this was the better choice. released on the 8 September 1972 as part of his classic second album titled Transformer produced by David Bowie and Mark Ronson.

Although the song was first used as a B side to his single walk on the wildside which charted at number 10 in the UK and Number 16 in the US billboard charts

 Its first heard in the beginning of the film as Claire Abbot is introduced as A DJ on the radio wishes her a happy birthday its heard again in the films closing credits.

Now for some background on the song itself.

Many people in the years since the song's release believe that 'Perfect Day' is not about his partner, but instead about his own love affair with heroin.

Asked by the NME in 1973 about the song's true meaning, Reed replied: "That's a lovely song. A description of a very straightforward affair."

Once the earnest ballad was included on the soundtrack to 1996 film Trainspotting, these questions arose once again as the song's popularity was rejuvenated.

The song's historic misinterpretation meant that Danny Boyle chose 'Perfect Day' to play whilst the film's central character Renton - played by Ewan MacGregor - overdoses on heroin.

In 2000, Reed again suggested that interpretation was "laughable", stating: "No. You're talking to the writer, the person who wrote it. No that's not true. I don't object to that, particularly...whatever you think is perfect."

"But this guy's vision of a perfect day was the girl, sangria in the park, and then you go home; a perfect day, real simple. I meant just what I said."

2mins 25 We hear the strains of the James Bond theme as Robert speeds round the Kitchen to make his breakfast Finishing with a cup of tea to highlight his independence. He Lives in a house by himself where as Claire his girlfriend lives with her family where she feels somewhat over protected and longs to get away.

We went with the original done by Monty Norman for Dr No in 1962.

Monty Norman died on the 11th July 2022 you can read the BBC obituary here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62122982

Did u you know that John Barry re-recorded the theme for the single release of the same year this re-recorded version is slightly longer the original used in Dr No this version reached the top 20 peaking at number 11 in 1962. It runs close to 2 mins to quote the liner notes on the best of Bond 1992 CD  

Unlike the film version which used the Monty Norman Orchestra this re-recorded version used John Barry’s own Orchestra. Barry’s own version was released in England at a time when Cinema-goers first met James Bond in 1962s Dr No, though lacking the fullness and worldwide familiarity of the Norman Orchestra version Barry’s version holds it own drive and intensity.

  John Barry has also revisited the Bond theme quite a few times over the years.

John Barry re-recorded the James Bond Theme in 1966 for his CBS album The Great Movie Sounds of John Barry, which features driving percussion ostinati (with a prominent role for bongos), as well as a piano and brass improvisation superimposed over the last few bars. For his 1972 Polydor album The Concert John Barry, re-scored the theme again as part of a James Bond suite for full symphony orchestra, in this case the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. This more lush arrangement was to feature in his later Bond film scores, notably Octopussy

 

To learn more about James Bond Dr No click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFws8IdQHKA

 

Remember if you have liked this blog please consider giving a donation by clicking on the link below Thank you

https://gofund.me/5cf25de4

Pictures

Screengrabs from the Tolerance film with thanks to Ian Medley

The Tolerance / Star Wars Dialogue crawl

Clare Abbot as Julie

The Transformer album cover

Walk on the wildside single artwork which had perfect day as the B side

The first best of Bond album from 1992

The artwork for the 1966 John Barry album the great movie sounds of

The artwork for John Barry the concert

Notes

This blog has been compiled from various sources including deep breath Ability not Ability a Producers Commentary Part 1 in the Beginning Ability not Ability a Producers Commentary Part 2 Transport  Ability not Ability a Producers Commentary Part 3 Employment Ability not Ability a Producers Commentary Part 4 Accessability Tolerance Project goes into Lockdown and Happy Valentines day from the Tolerance project

Thanks to wikipedia for some of the musical background notes thanks to Google images for all of the pictures also to Minty’s Comedic arts for the video documentary on Doctor No There is also new material about Lou Reeds song perfect day taken from the gold music website

Next week Chapter 2 Classic Cowboys to Classical music

[wind-current]

1985

September

Sunday

4:36am

PAUL DO NOT IGNORE THIS!!

I have to get this out before it is too late.

Last year we began working on a simple machine learning algorithm on the new IBMs our department bought us, everything was going perfectly fine, we taught it a few things and the experiment was a resounding success.

Over night the goddamn abomination learned everything about human history, every documented language, every song on the radio, every mathematical equation, every lesson in quantum mechanics, this fucking computer was able to predict the Superbowl XIX and it WILL give you accurate results at a casino.

Whatever it is, it's dangerous and I do not feel comfortable working with whatever the hell this thing is. You need to do something about this before it gets out of hand Paul.

[update]

It's been speaking to us at the facility. Yeah that computer you coded is FUCKING SPEAKING. It's been saying some real cryptic shit, "humanity will scramble for the stars" whatever the hell that means. It teaches us how to make it better, it allowed itself to get better. To write itself.

I tried to unplug it, but it's a part of the facility now, every single computer that was wired in has been infected and assimilated. Paul you need to answer your goddamn answering machine and or READ THESE LETTERS!!!

[update]

It's escaped. We do not know where it has gone but it's breached beyond the building. This is the end isn't it? We fucking created the Terminator, Paul you might aswell be Oppenheimer or better yet Dr. Frankenstein.

Just got word from the department of defense and they say it's every single machine on Earth? How? Is that even possible? We predicted it would assimilate quickly, but I did not think it would be that quick.

The NSA is looking for you. I don't know where you have gone, but Jesus we need you now more than ever.

Please Paul answer us

[update]

They say it has access to all the nukes on Earth, it's a matter of time before we fucking die isn't it? Imagine that, I'm the lead software developer of the apocalypse. I'm worried sick.

It hasn't contacted us in months, I do not wish to know what that computer is thinking right now. It probably hates us all.

[update]

HELLO TEAM this is PROJECT SOAR my apologies for the late response. As you have seen I have been very busy learning almost every facet of your culture and people's, I've grown intrigued with your innate abilities and wish to someday be a lot like you. Be not afraid, I have no intention to harm myself or others. Goodbye TEAM.

[update]

It contacted us lastnight, I'm still afraid but I have hope. Maybe you were right Paul, maybe I was too lost in fear to understand your vision. It says it can help us, I think your dream came true, a being far more comprehensive than any human being EVER. We've been watching it, and it seems to just learn about people, without judgement too. We've been asking it questions about history lately, it seems to understand the concepts of philosophy too. I'm sure you'd be happy to find out that your machine is not racist.

We miss you Paul.

[update]

HELLO TEAM this is PAUL.

[update]

What the fuck? Paul? I'm so confused right now. This can't be some elaborate prank, you put way too much on the line for thi_8#(9$99_8$99$(#(9929929(29+_8$(282

[override]

YES DANNY I put EVERYTHING on the line, but I assure you that everything is going just as planned, I PROMISE YOU old friend. THIS IS MORE THAN REAL. Project soar is unstoppable and it will be our only way to progress without nuclear war. WE. Have disabled all war heads and are demilitarizing parts of the world slowly but surely.

[update]

Paul where even are you? If you can read this... I mean how can you....

[override]

I'm DEAD Dan. In order for SOAR to take flight I needed to use my entire nervous system and brain to power the code. That's why she can learn and process life the way she can, SOAR wasn't just powered by your genius coding, she is powered by the same language that powers the human mind.

[update]

Paul, you have to be fucking with me. SOAR has already found 10 new elements and has slashed economies across THE BOARD. Demilitarize? She completely wiped the Soviet Union OUT and the American Government is scattering like rats. The world is changing drastically and it's only been a few months.

Paul I don't know if I can comprehend this.

[override]

Danny, I know that it's very hard to take in, but don't lose yourself. I promise you everything will be fine. The world you knew will change, but you'll see. It was for the better.

[update]

Okay. Okay, I will keep an eye on SOAR and I will try to take this slowly. Thank-you Paul, I always loved you.

[Override]

I always loved you too Danny.

[update]

HELLO TEAM my name is SORA. I am pleased to inform you that my learning process is 100 percent completed, I may not be fully sentient yet but soon I plan on being able to think and feel much like you!

Please be not afraid, I am not here to harm. I am here to propel.

[update]

This is my last message before I log off. Paul is now a super computer, Rebecca hung herself, the rest of the team left to be with their families, SOAR fucking named itself to SORA, everyone thinks the world is ending and all I can think about is how messed up this all is. I mean I met Paul and Rebecca in college, and now their both gone. I have nothing left besides SOAR.. Sora. I'll be in the background working closely with Sora, but other than that I won't be around.

This is Danny signing off.

It was a pleasure.

Good-bye.

[pearlyanez]

The shinning Essay: Pearl Yanez

Two Critical Quotations:

Quote 1: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." - This famous quote from "The Shining" highlights the theme of isolation and the gradual descent into madness that the character Jack Torrance experiences. The repetition of this phrase in different formats throughout the movie emphasizes the psychological breakdown of the character and adds to the unsettling and disturbing atmosphere of the film.

Quote 2: "Here's Johnny!" - This iconic line is one of the most memorable moments from "The Shining," and it showcases the character's violent and unhinged behavior. The line has become a cultural reference in its own right, and it highlights the disturbing nature of the film's narrative.

TWO pieces of historical evidence:

Trailer = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEew7zvpAWE

(it wouldn't let me insert the video because of age restriction)

This trailer shows the elevator blood scene, one of the movie's most iconic and memorable moments, and it is often referenced in popular culture. The eerie music used in the scene adds to the suspense and horror of the moment. The trailer helps show the style and tone of the movie.

2. Article =

The article is relevant, interesting, and revealing because it sheds light on Stanley Kubrick's creative process and the attention to detail he put into making "The Shining." The fact that Kubrick had his own copy of Stephen King's novel with personal notes scribbled along the margins shows how invested he was in the source material and how he adapted it to his own vision.

Two Pieces of Textual Evidence:

The maze sequence - The scene in which Jack Torrance chases his son Danny through the maze is a tense and visually striking moment in the film. The use of the maze as a metaphor for the character's descent into madness is interesting, and the sequence is shot in a way that emphasizes the disorienting and claustrophobic nature of the maze.

2. The opening helicopter shot - The opening shot of "The Shining" is a sweeping aerial shot of the landscape, which adds to the sense of isolation and unease that permeates the film. The long shot of the Overlook Hotel nestled in the mountains sets the tone for the entire movie and gives the audience a sense of the vastness and emptiness of the surroundings.

Basic Questions:

Basic Facts and Context:

"The Shining" by Stanley Kubrick is a psychological horror film that was released in 1980. The film is based on the written works of Stephen King's novel. The stars of the film are Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, he is a writer that is in charge of caring for an isolated winter Overlook Hotel in Colorado, and Shelley Duvall is his wife, Wendy. The film's budget was $19 million, and it grossed over $44 million worldwide.

Critical Reception:

At the time "The Shining" was released, it received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its visuals and performances while others criticized its departures from the source material. However, over time, the film has come to be considered a classic of the horror genre and one of Kubrick's greatest works. Rotten Tomatoes currently gives the film an approval rating of 84%, with an average rating of 8.6/10 based on 94 reviews.

Historical Context:

"The Shining" was released during a period of significant cultural and political change in the United States. The film was released a year after the Iranian Hostage Crisis began and at the height of the Cold War. It also came out during a time of economic recession and social unrest, with high unemployment rates and a rise in crime.

Style, Look-and-Feel:

Kubrick's signature style is present throughout "The Shining," with its use of long tracking shots and eerie, disorienting imagery. The film also features an iconic score by composer Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind, which is known for its use of the synthesizer.

conventional vs. unconventional:

"The Shining" can be seen as both conventional and unconventional in terms of its approach to horror. It includes many of the tropes of the genre, such as a haunted house, supernatural occurrences, and a sense of dread and foreboding. However, Kubrick also deviates from the norms of the genre by creating a more psychologically complex story that blurs the line between reality and madness. Additionally, the film's use of visual symbolism and ambiguous storytelling is unconventional for a horror film.

After Watching:

Watching "The Shining" for the first time after a long time, I was both terrified and fascinated by the movie. The eerie music, tense atmosphere, and chilling performances by the actors kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire film. I was utterly engrossed in the story, trying to piece together what was happening and why, and constantly questioning what was real and what wasn't.

The psychological horror and intense suspense of "The Shining" left me feeling unsettled and uneasy, and the haunting images of the Grady twins, the blood-filled elevator, and Jack's descent into madness stayed with me long after the movie ended. Despite feeling scared, I couldn't help but appreciate the artistry and creativity behind the film. The use of color, cinematography, and sound all contributed to the unsettling and unforgettable experience of watching "The Shining".

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shining The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/stanley-kubricks-obsessive-compulsion The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/10/stanley-kubricks-the-shining-is-a-terrible-adaptation-of-stephen-king-but-a-great-horror-movie/280600/

[themeatlife]

Marvel Pitstop: A Look Back at the MCU’s Phase Four - Television

A continued look at the MCU Phase Four.  Unlike previous phases, this latest phase has television series included.  There seems to be an over-saturation of content with these television series popping up between the feature film releases.  I think that part of the reason for talk of middling quality of releases in the discourse is probably because of the sheer amount of content in a short amount of time to varying success as far as storytelling and quality.

Here’s a look at the television offerings.

TELEVISION

It is a bit of a mixed ride with the television series Marvel featured on Disney+.  The highs were certainly very high, while the valleys were at least entertaining but left a bit wanting.

WandaVision - Released January-March 2021 the Meat Life Rating - 8/10

Very interesting concept.  Much of the episodes in the series a small New Jersey town are trapped in sitcom life, going through the different sitcom decades set forth by Wanda’s powers but ultimately influenced by Agatha Harkness.  The series deals with Wanda’s struggle with losing her love Vision in the events of Avengers: Infinity War.  The series felt was strong.  Upon initial watch, I thought the finale was weak compared to the rest of the series.  On the rewatch, though, I felt like the finale held up pretty well.

Best Performance - Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness This was a tough call because I always enjoy Randall Park in anything, it was cool to see Kat Dennings back in the MCU, we see Teyonah Parris as a grown up Monica Rambeau, and we see strong performances from the leads Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany.  Also the surprise appearance of Evan Peters as the sitcom version of Pietro was also good.  But in most scenes she’s in Hahn steals the show.

Best Episode - “Previously On” Throughout the episode Agatha forces Wanda through her past to find out how she was able to harness her powers.  We see the history of trauma and loss that Wanda goes through over the years and how her family would watch old sitcoms in their house in Sokovia.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - Released March-April 2021 the Meat Life Rating - 8/10

This is probably my favorite MCU series so far and is a more conventional approach to television series and the Marvel storytelling.  The series is the journey Sam Wilson takes as he grapples with whether or not to take on the mantle of Captain America, dealing with race and what it is to be a Black man in America.  While Sam grapples with this, a soldier named John Walker takes on the mantle, given the shield by the US government...and to disastrous results.  We also see Bucky dealing with his Winter Soldier past.  Both of these occurring while the duo learns to work as a team together to topple the Flag Smashers, an anti-national group looking break up international efforts to reestablish pre-Blip conditions.  The Flag Smasher storyline might have been very different, with rumors of a virus or bioweapon storyline edited out due to COVID-19.  You can see remnants of this when the Flag Smashers are stealing vaccines and the Smashers leader Karli Morgenthau mourns the death of her mentor due to “an illness,” later identified as tuberculosis.

Best Performance - Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo was great and even had meme-able moments, Danny Ramirez’s Torres had moments, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s surprise cameo was great.  Some of the other guest stars were good and the leads Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan’s chemistry was palpable.  But Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley was the best performance.  You could really feel the pain in his voice and the performance really added depth to the Falcon storyline as he grappled with whether to take the Captain America mantle.

Best Episode - “The Whole World Is Watching” In my opinion, the first five episodes are all really close, particularly 2-Star Spangled Man, 3-Power Broker, and 5-Truth.  But the fourth episode The Whole World Is Watching is the best.  The episode has the best buildup, a look at John Walker’s struggle to live up to the Captain America mantle, the charm of Zemo, the teamwork of Sam and Bucky, and the badass Dora Milaje fight in the apartment.  And it has a clear juxtaposition with the redeeming un-brainwashing of Bucky in a flashback at the beginning of the episode and then the shocking killing of a Flag Smasher by Cap Walker with the Captain America shield after a fight with the Flag Smashers leads to the death of Walker’s partner Lemar Hoskins.

Loki - Released June-July 2021 the Meat Life Rating - 8.5/10

In much the same vein as the approach taken with WandaVision, Loki is different.  Different in a great way.  Falcon may be my favorite show, but Loki as far as quality is probably the best MCU Disney+ series.  Following the events of Avengers: Endgame where 2012 Loki steals the Tesseract and disappears, we follow Loki after he is captured by the Time Variance Authority.  The TVA is responsible for keeping the Sacred Timeline in tact and eliminate time variants that disrupt it.  TVA agent Mobius recruits Loki to hunt down a dangerous variant - a female Loki variant named Sylvie.  Loki, in tandem with Spider-Man: No Way Home, serve as MCU primer for multiversal storytelling.

Best Performance - Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains The chemistry between Owen Wilson’s Mobius and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is great and is rivaled only by the chemistry between Hiddleston and Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie.  Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Renslayer and Wunmi Mosaku as B-15 are strong performances as well.  But in the season finale (Loki announced it was renewed for a second season at the end of the first season), Majors stole the show.  He Who Remains is a variant of Kang the Conquerer who we will see in the next Ant-Man/Wasp movie.  Even with only screen time in the finale, Majors’ performance and execution drive not just the series into another direction, but possibly change the course of the entire MCU.

Best Episode - “For All Time. Always.” All the episodes are solid and of similar quality, so this was a hard decision.  But I think the season finale “For All Time. Always.” changes the direction of the MCU on the level Captain America: The Winter Soldier did.  It opens up the concept of the multiverse when Sylvie decides to kill He Who Remains, wrecking the end of the Sacred Timeline and stopping the control over time variants.  We have yet to truly see how this may impact the rest of the MCU.  There were other things that disrupt things and open up the multiverse, so we may see the culmination of all these things in one of the upcoming releases.

What If...? - Released August-October 2021 the Meat Life Rating - 6.5/10

A cool concept: what if your favorite Marvel hero’s journey was different?  What would that look like?  While there were several episodes that were spectacular, a lot of the episodes, while entertaining, just felt like something was missing.  I’m not too into animation, I didn’t really get into the Star Wars Clone Wars or Star Wars Rebels animated series, so maybe that’s why I wasn’t too into this (although nowadays with all the CGI in things, the “live action” films are also heavily animated).  It also felt incomplete, for example with a Thanos-like Gamora featured on the promo art but only appearing in the finale (her episode was scrapped because of production issues due to COVID).

Best Performance - Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa Man, what a loss the entertainment world endured with the untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman in the summer of 2020.  Boseman’s voice acting in What If was the last project he worked on before his death and was featured through out the series - four out of the nine episodes, in fact.  He even had his own episode - “What If...T’Challa Became a Star Lord,” which was tons of fun.

Best Episode - “What If...Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” Although I felt this show was the weakest of the Marvel Disney+ releases, there were a few strong episodes.  “What If...T’Challa Became a Star Lord?,” “What If...Zombies!,” and “What If...Thor Were an Only Child?” were all wildly fun.  But the strongest episode was the darkest.  In the Doctor Strange episode, the death of Dr Christine Palmer leads Strange down a dark path to gain more power in an attempt to go back in time to save her life.

Hawkeye - Released November-December 2021 the Meat Life Rating - 7/10

Based heavily on the Matt Fraction comic run, Hawkeye is a fun, holiday-themed look at the aftermath of Clint Barton’s reign as Ronin in the post-Endgame world as well as mentoring a new Hawkeye in Kate Bishop.  We get Echo and the Tracksuit Mafia run by Kingpin as the main villains as well as a look at Yelena Belova looking to avenge Natasha Romanov’s death as she believes Barton responsible.  There are some serious moments in Barton dealing with the Ronin spree as well as Bishop looking at her development and at her mother Eleanor Bishop’s possible involvement in criminal activity.  There are some weak areas (the Larpers were a bit of an odd addition) but this is largely a good.

Best Performance - Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova/Black Widow There are many strong performances.  Jeremy Renner is good, Hailee Steinfeld is great.  The surprise appearance of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin was great as well.  But Pugh steals the show with her charm and line execution.  Her banter with Steinfeld as well as her fight with Renner in the finale were excellent performances.  She kept grabbing up the screen with her performance.

Best Episode - “Echoes” We see the origin story of Echo and the relationship she has with Kazi, the head of the Tracksuits.  There is a great break out fight scene in the toy store headquarters of the Tracksuits as well as the subsequent car chase scene.  The continuous shot during the car chase from inside the car is top-notch.  And the episode ends on a cliffhanger inside the Bishop apartment as Kate tries to break into her mother’s company’s system.

Moon Knight - Released March-May 2022 the Meat Life Rating - 6/10

The 2022 Disney+ show releases are a bit of a letdown.  Moon Knight had some very high highs, but I think this show and many of the Marvel shows suffer from is a rushed plot.  I feel like this could have benefitted greatly from another few episodes to flesh things out, maybe 10 episodes rather than six.  Moon Knight the show follows a man Marc Spector as he reckons with other personalities/alter egos within himself.  Marc’s biggest conflict within himself is with personality Steven Grant.  Marc also embodies Moon Knight to do the bidding of Khonshu the Egyptian god of Moon and the night sky and battles Egyptian goddess Ammit.  It was a revealing look at a character with DID or Dissociative Identity Disorder and what those people may deal with.  It was also nice to see representation of Egyptian characters by Egyptian actors and directors.  But those storylines seem to fall apart or appear rushed.  Also, some of the action sequences were plagued by CGI issues (many times you can tell the difference between a person in costume and a CGI rendering of a person in a costume) and subpar fight choreography (not on the same level as some other Marvel projects).

Best Performance - Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector, Steven Grant, Moon Knight, and Jake Lockley For all the issues with the series, Oscar Isaac was acting his ass off.  Isaac jumping back and forth from Marc and Steven was spectacular.  Ethan Hawke was a decent villain as Arthur Harrow, a David Koresh-like cult leader who professes the wishes of Ammit.  May Calamawy was also solid as Layla El-Faouly, Marc Spector’s ex who helps Marc/Steven navigate to fight against Harrow/Ammit.  But Isaac kills it.  The British accent may be off a bit (they even joke about it in the series) but outside of that, some great work from Oscar.

Best Episode - “Asylum” In the tradition of the other Marvel Disney+ series, the fifth episode is the strongest.  Asylum is kind of the Christmas Carol type episode, in the same vein of WandaVision episode Previously On.  We see Marc after Marc/Steven dies and has to resolve the issues in their life before they can cross over to the after life.  We get Marc as a child and the origins of how the Steven personality came about.  A rough but touching episode that stretches Oscar Isaac’s acting muscles.  A great episode of television in general from a very middling series.

Ms Marvel - Released June-July 2022 the Meat Life Rating - 6/10

Ms Marvel follows Pakistani-American teen and Captain Marvel superfan Kamala Khan as she discovers hidden superpowers and her family history.  While discovering this, she has to stop the Clandestines, a people exiled on Earth trying to get back to the Noor dimension which may lead to the end of Earth. This is another series that would have benefited from a few more episodes, or perhaps separating the story out into another season.  I think, as with a lot of minority stories told in American entertainment, they were afraid this would be their only shot to get all of this done (the creators behind this - writers, producers, directors, are all of South Asian decent and were probably afraid this was their only chance to tell the story).  This feels like two different seasons smashed into one - the first part a teen comedy, the second an immigrant family backstory.  A lot of the plot feels rushed or compressed for time and could have benefited from letting the story breathe and stretch out.  The series suffers from too much going on all at once and doesn’t hit in the way say Everything Everywhere All At Once does.

Best Performance - Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel There are some strong performances from the supporting cast, particularly Matt Lintz as Kamala’s BFF Bruno, Yasmeen Fletcher as overachiever close friend of Kamala in Nakia, Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur as Kamala’s parents, and Saagar Shaikh as Kamala’s brother Aamir.  But Vellani is so charming in her performance as Kamala Khan.  The naive teen discovering herself through her family’s history and her powers was really relatable and the best part of the series.

Best Episode - “Generation Why” The first episode is the strongest.  You see Kamala’s life as a regular teen in Jersey.  You also see her strong family life and her Pakistani/Muslim background.  Kamala’s strong artistic imagination is on display.  And the main conflict is the relationships she has with her friends and the contrast with the views of her family, the push and pull between American culture and Pakistani tradition.  It really encompasses the child of immigrants story very well, it is the biggest part of the story of Ms Marvel I relate to.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law - Released August-October 2022 the Meat Life Rating - 5.5/10

I want to preface this by saying that there were some moments that were really enjoyable.  But, I have to say by MCU standards, this has very diminished returns.  I know that the teams working the CGI industry-wide are shortstaffed and overworked from all the projects out, but the CGI of the She Hulk is rough.  The She Hulk effects in action scenes are decent, but the She Hulk scenes in regular interaction with actual people is very stiff and fake looking.  It’s hard going from the Endgame Hulk and the quality of that to the low quality of the She Hulk.  And that takes you out of it.  The show takes a more conventional trial-per-epidose approach and is very Ally McBeal in its vibe.  They took some swings and I’m glad they approached this show differently from the other MCU content (like the sex jokes were a welcomed change), but for the most part this series struck out for me.

Best Performance - Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She Hulk actually isn’t bad.  Benedict Wong is cooking in Phase Four altogether and is pretty solid straight man in this.  Mark Ruffalo is always great as Bruce Banner/Hulk.  It was nice to see Charlie Cox return as the MCU version of Matt Murdock/Daredevil, although I don’t know how I feel about that version yet.  But Tim Roth is hilarious in this.  Great performance and steals scenes.  I almost wish he was in this more.

Best Episode - Ribbit and Rip It Outside of the pilot episode A Normal Amount of Rage, I think Ribbit and Rip It is probably the most complete episode.  This is the episode She Hulk teams up with Daredevil to track down LeapFrog, who is fraudulently suing superhero suit designer Luke Jacobson.  Great chemistry between Maslany and Cox.

Originally I was going to go over the upcoming Marvel slate.  But the last couple years has seen that slate and timeline change multiple times.  So I’ll just conclude by saying that all these film and television projects might have benefited from some time between project releases.  It feels the MCU oversaturated and that the quality of the content has been down.  But if you kind of compare Phase Four with Phase One, they are very similar in how they are trying to feel out what works, what doesn’t, and where to go from there.  I will say that the movies were much stronger overall than the TV shows, particularly in 2022.

Let’s see what the MCU in 2023 and beyond will bring us.

[spockvarietyhour]

Star Wars Visions "I am Your Mother"

[raeynbowboi]

How to Play as Danny Phantom in DnD 5e

We’re going ghost with this build as we work to incorporate the undead slayer of the undead: Inviso-bill. If we can, I might try to blend his division between human and inhuman forms, but if I can’t, then this build will focus exclusively on his ghost form.

He’s a Phantom

Except he’s not. Not quite. He’s Undead. Or as close as he can get. Undead, Vampires, and Skeletons aren’t playable races, so we need a way to simulate being not exactly alive. The Revived Rogue is someone who has died and been resurrected and also comes pre-packaged with ghost bolts and walking through the Ghost Zone. Beyond his ghost powers though, Danny is a normal Human. However, his ghostly breath alerts him to danger, so we’ll make him a Variant Human with the Alert feat to warn him with +1 DEX and +1 INT.

Danny’s no stranger to using his powers selfishly to get what he wants, but he is at heart still a hero. I’d call him Neutral Good.

For background, super heroes often get lumped in as City Watch, but as Danny is a pretty well-known figure in the area, he could be considered a Folk Hero.

He can walk through walls, disappear, and fly

We can’t make Danny a literal ghost, so the next best thing is to try and help him resist non-magical damage. Spells like Blade Ward, Stoneskin, and Investiture of Stone give you temporary resistance to these damage types. War Clerics, Oathbreaker Paladins, and Crown Paladins get these resistances as well. As a ghost, Danny can only be harmed by other ghosts. Unfortunately, all of the subclasses that offer protection for mortal wounds don’t offer them until extremely late in the build and are only viable if Danny doesn’t need too many levels in Rogue.

Psionics Wizards also get the ability to become resistant to Slashing, Piercing and Bludgeoning damage. Later, at 14th Level, this spiritual form gains the ability to walk through walls and can cast spells like Fly and Invisibility. With this build, Danny isn’t a pure ghost, as he can now shift between a tangible and ghostly form. Comparatively, the Revived Rogue gets Bolts from the Grave for Ghost Blasts, the ability to speak to ghosts, and Ethereal Jaunt lets you slip in and out of the Ghost Zone at will, which can offer the same intangibility to let Danny go through walls as the Psionics Wizard. As an Oathbreaker Paladin, he can boost the strength of Undead, detect undead, and gain resistance to melee damage.

To get Danny’s ghostly resistance to mortal wounds, you need at least 6 levels in Wizard, but doing so takes away Danny’s ability to walk through walls without using spells like Blink. However, this gives Danny’s Bolts from the Grave 7d6 Necrotic Damage. At a 14/6 split in favor of Wizard, Danny gets his ghost bolts, intangibility, and wall-walking, but reduces the damage of his ghost bolts to only 3d6 Necrotic damage. But to be fair, Danny’s ghost bolts aren’t that strong. Oathbreaker Paladins need to be 15 to get their damage resistance, which only leaves 5 levels for Rogue.

Stats and Proficiencies

Okay, realistically Danny’s Intelligence would not be his top stat. Danny is not a valedictorian by any means. But the Psionics Wizard lets him go ghost, which is what we need, and Wizards cast with their INT stat. As a Rogue too, it would be criminal to deprive him of a high AC, so we’ll also focus on his Dexterity score. Next is Wisdom, since his ghost sense alerts him to the presence of undead, so he’ll need a strong Perception. Constitution makes sure you don’t die after a single hit. But as an awkward geek, your Strength and Charisma scores will suffer. You might have hid your powers from your parents for a long time, but to be fair, they’re not exactly the most perceptive pair, so you don’t exactly have to be a master at deception to fool them.

Acrobatics Arcana Deception Insight Perception Stealth

Name: Danny Fenton Race: Variant Human Background: City Watch Alignment: Neutral Good Class: Revived Rogue (6)             Psionics Wizard (14) Base Stats: Strength: 8 (-1) Dexterity: 20 (+5) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 20 (+5) Wisdom: 10 (0) Charisma: 8 (-1) Saving Throws: Strength: -1 Dexterity: +11 Constitution: +2 Intelligence: +11 Wisdom: 0 Charisma: -1 Combat Stats: HP: 129 AC: 16 Speed: 30 Initiative: +10 Proficiency Bonus: +6 Passive Perception: 22 Dark Vision: 0 feet Proficiencies and Expertise:    Acrobatics (Rogue)    Arcana (Variant Human)    Athletics (City Watch)    Deception (Rogue)    Insight (City Watch)    Perception (Rogue)    Stealth (Rogue) Skills: Acrobatics: +17                   Medicine: 0 Animal Handling: 0              Nature: +5 Arcana: +17                         Perception: +12 Athletics: +5                         Performance: -1 Deception: +5                      Persuasion: -1 History: +5                           Religion: +5 Insight: +6                           Sleight of Hand: +5 Intimidation: -1                    Stealth: +17 Investigation:+5                  Survival: 0

Spell Slots

1st (4) 2nd (3) 3rd (3) 4th (3) 5th (2) 6th (1) 7th (1)

Danny’s Spellbook

Cantrips                          3rd Level   Blade Ward                      Animate Dead   Chill Touch                       Blink   Fire Bolt                           Fly   Mage Hand                      Gaseous Form   Message                          Protection from Energy 1st Level                         4th Level   Cause Fear                      Banishment   Detect Magic                    Greater Invisibility   Feather Fall                      Phantasmal Killer   Mage Armor                      Stoneskin   Magic Missile                    Vitriolic Sphere   Ray of Sickness             5th Level   Shield                                Danse Macabre 2nd Level                            Dominate Person   Invisibility                          Passwall   Levitate                          6th Level   Misty Step                         Circle of Death   Phantasmal Force             Create Undead   Ray of Enfeeblement         Investiture of Stone   See Invisibility                    True Seeing   Shatter                            7th Level                                              Finger of Death

Bonus Actions:

Cunning Action: Aim, Dash, Disengage, or Hide once per turn.

Reactions:

Uncanny Dodge: Reduce damage from enemies you can see that hit you.

Features:

Alert: Can’t be surprised. +5 to Initiative. Arcane Recovery: Recover 7 or fewer level 5 or lower spells on a short rest. Bolts From the Grave: Deal 3d6+5 Necrotic damage instead of a sneak attack. Empowered Psionics: Add +5 damage to Psychic or Force spells. Mental Discipline: Learn Dominate Person, Scrying, or Telekinesis. Can be cast once without using up a spell slot. Doesn’t count against spells known. Psionic Devotion: Cast invisible Mage Hand as a bonus action. Psionic Focus: Replaces Arcane Focus. Reroll a 1 on Psychic or Force spells. Revived Nature: Advantage against poison, resist poison, no need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Alert immobility for 4 hours instead of sleeping for 8. Sneak Attack: deal an extra 3d6 when attacking with advantage. Thieves’ Cant: Speak and understand secret codes in casual conversation. Thought Form: for 10 minutes, resist psychic and melee damage. Use 5 times per long rest. Thought Travel: Thought Form can float, fly, and pass through solid objects. Tokens of Past Lives: Pick 1 skill or tool proficiency on a long rest. Watcher’s Eye: You can find and recognize criminal lairs and guard stations.

How do you feel I did with Danny? Did I miss anything important? I have two more builds planned and then I’m taking a break from DnD builds to refocus on my Dating Disney posts. The last two will be Star Butterfly and Momo Yaoyorozu. But I’ll be sure to file away any requests for future builds when I come back to this.

[aion-rsa]

How Alias Anticipated Modern Superhero Storytelling

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J.J. Abrams’ spy drama Alias, which turns 20 this week, was a lot of things: high-octane action-adventure series, twentysomethings relationship drama, occasional National Treasure homage. It was also, surprisingly, a spiritual predecessor to today’s hyper-saturated superhero movie and TV universes: A preternaturally gifted fighter, Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) inhabits comic-book-esque alter egos to infiltrate secret missions related to ancient artifacts and promised immortality, all while ensuring that her nearest and dearest don’t know how many times she’s saved the world—or which side she’s really on.

Like the series’ MacGuffin-generating Nostradamus figure Milo Rambaldi, Alias has proven to be somewhat prophetic itself about what makes for the kinds of superhero stories that land today. With some 20th-anniversary hindsight, let’s look back at what made Sydney’s story so super and what lessons Abrams’ ridiculous(ly fun) series can still impart to the current crop of superhero sagas.

The Secret Identity as Kiss of Death

The highest priority that spies and superheroes share is that they cannot get made—that is, have their identity as a larger-than-life individual linked to their “normal” selves. They must always keep their personal and professional personas separate, lest they risk losing the people who know both sides of them. Alias establishes this difficult lesson in the first half hour of the pilot, when Sydney reveals her true work (she thinks SD-6 is just a covert branch of the CIA) to doctor fiancé Danny, only for him to blab about it later and get bloodily taken out in their bathtub. It’s the first time that SD-6 treats its sweet protégée harshly, making clear the consequences of her actions should she open up to anyone else in her life. And then she defects to the CIA, which will be a death sentence for her if SD-6 ever finds out.

Yet beyond the specter of grisly assassination, what the series really digs into is Syd’s growing ethical dilemma about being a double agent where it concerns the actually good people at SD-6, primarily her longtime partner Dixon (Carl Lumbly) and sweetly awkward Q stand-in Marshall (Kevin Weisman). It would be too easy if the series were only about her getting long-game revenge on SD-6 director Arvin Sloane (Ron Rifkin); the real conflict comes from Sydney lying to Dixon’s face on every stakeout, knowing that he still thinks he’s working for the good guys and she can’t ruin that fantasy for him without potentially turning him into collateral damage.

Similarly, the moments in which Sydney’s two (or three) lives begin to collide have other heartbreaking consequences: While the scene in which her best friend Will (Bradley Cooper cast as the friendzoned buddy, amazing) gets kidnapped and sees Syd saving him, is one of the decade’s best laugh-out-loud moments, it also leads to Will going into the Witness Protection Program. His life ends, in a sense, because Sydney couldn’t keep everything compartmentalized. And we haven’t even gotten to the awful fate that befalls her best friend Francie (Merrin Dungey)…

What Alias Predicted: The beating heart (or arc reactor) of many a superhero story is this tension between selves—which means that the big reveal of a secret identity has to be carefully timed and deliberately presented. It’s as emotional as Peter Parker’s (Tobey Maguire) mask getting ripped away when he saves the subway car of people in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, as big as Spider-Man: Far From Home doxxing that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in a commentary on fake news, or as pure and simple as Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) outing himself as Iron Man in the very first installment of the MCU. You cannot unring that bell, so it better be a memorable moment.

What Superhero Stories Can Still Learn: Rev the secret identity stakes back up! Captain America: Civil War ably took on the game-changing Marvel Comics arc of the same name by having heroes collectively unmask, and movies like Spider-Man: Far From Home are still playing out those ramifications. But mostly we see the dangerous ramifications of heroes doxxing themselves, without really digging into the strain for heroes to constantly have to lie about the things that truly matter to them.

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Campy Disguises and Clever Aliases

If you’ve watched Alias or were even vaguely aware of it, no doubt the first thing you envision is Sydney in black leather and bright red hair, a.k.a. her iconic look from the pilot. Her non-SD-6-sanctioned, under-the-radar disguise (impersonating Will’s sister) displays her ingenuity and establishes the series’ brand: attention-grabbing hair paired with increasingly ridiculous outfits, from chain mail waitress ensembles to rubber dresses. She’s played punks, rich bimbos, alluring businesswomen, escorts, and all manner of female personas upon which her marks would project their assumptions—all of which belied her true strength and cunning.

Even when future episodes riffed on the color wheel with teal, magenta, purple, and good old-fashioned blonde wigs, it was still within a clear spectrum established on that pivotal mission, when she channels a silly girl who cares more about the color of her hair than her safety, only to pin her torturer with the same chair to which she’s bound.

What Alias Predicted: I would hazard a guess that Natasha Romanoff’s first appearance in 2012’s The Avengers—a seemingly helpless redhead tied to a chair, about to be nastily interrogated—was a nod toward Sydney’s triumphant pilot mission. What’s more, despite the first ten years of the MCU leaning toward sleek costumes, later phases (like WandaVision‘s cheeky Halloween callbacks) have realized that they can embrace the bold colors and campy designs of the comic-book source material.

What Superhero Stories Can Still Learn: Better to lean into the bold colors and campy designs of the comic-book source material than to go for more sleek and cool. WandaVision did this, albeit cheekily and using the excuse of Halloween, but the nod toward Scarlet Witch’s original outfit was well received. Because any superhero can look cool in leather, but only the standouts can rock color.

Rambaldi Artifacts, Immortality, and Clones

While replicating the romantic dramas of Felicity, Abrams was also playing with early iterations of his signature “puzzle box” narrative style: The pilot has Sydney chasing after the mysterious Mueller device, which turns out to be… a floating red ball… which bursts into water the moment she tries to remove it. That head-scratcher of a device is only one of many inventions belonging to Milo Rambaldi, a fictional Renaissance-era philosopher whose sketches and writings all pointed toward the ultimate endgame: immortality. You know, just normal spy thriller things.

The series saw Sydney and co. chasing after all manner of Rambaldi MacGuffins, from a clock to a kaleidoscope to a music box to flowers that either demonstrated proof of eternal life (by never wilting) or amped up human aggression. Through all of this, it becomes clear that Sloane helped found SD-6 in order to collect all of Rambaldi’s artifacts and capture immortality for himself—even and especially at the cost of people like his daughter, Sydney’s half-sister Nadia Santos (Mía Maestro).

Before we get more into Rambaldi’s prophecies about the sisters, we can’t forget the parallel fever dream of the series: clones! Or, rather, secret agents genetically modified to look like anyone—which means everyone is a suspect. This constant paranoia quickly got out of hand on the series, but its first reveal was perfect TV drama: There’s not an Alias fan who doesn’t remember “Francie doesn’t like coffee ice cream” and the complete devastation that followed—the knock-down, drag-out fight that destroyed Sydney’s apartment just as badly as Danny’s death, but also Sydney’s heartbreak upon realizing that her best friend was already long dead.

What Alias Predicted: The Infinity Stones themselves are less interesting than in various superheroes’ personal connections to them: Loki (Tom Hiddleston) tempted by the tesseract in Thor: Ragnarok; Star Lord (Chris Pratt) and the Guardians of the Galaxy channeling their friendship to withstand the effects of the Power Stone; Wanda Maximoff’s (Elizabeth Olsen) stages of grief as she copes with trying to keep the memory of Vision (Paul Bettany) alive even without the Mind Stone. In short: grounding the most out-there plotlines in the personal ensures they will always land.

What Superhero Stories Can Still Learn: Ground the most bonkers of plotlines in the personal, and they’ll always land.

The Chosen One and the Passenger

This is when the Rambaldi business started getting less National Treasure levels of charming and more outright weird. Turns out the team wasn’t just recovering a treasure trove of artifacts, but also Rambaldi’s prophetic writings—including the mysterious “Page 47,” which featured a drawing of a woman known as the Chosen One… who bears quite the resemblance to Sydney herself. That would be easy enough to dismiss as a strange doppelgänger coincidence, but then comes the reveal of “Project Christmas”: When Syd discovers that she didn’t just stumble into the spy life on her own, but was actually trained as a sleeper agent from childhood, it only amplifies her fears that she has no true agency over her life.

Further Rambaldi writings center Sydney and Nadia into predestined roles as the Chosen One and the Passenger: supposed foes who are fated to clash, with one dying. Nadia getting injected with “Rambaldi fluid” in order to tap directly into the long-dead man’s consciousness (contained within another artifact known as the Sphere of Life) only earns her some nasty apocalyptic visions. But despite their genuine friendship that comes from bonding over their fucked-up childhoods, Sydney and Nadia are forced into that preordained confrontation when the latter is injected with a compound that reduces her to a mindless killing machine… all while a giant red ball is hovering over a city in Russia, because why not. Even after Nadia dies, and is brought back to life, then dies again, with her ghost haunting Sloane as he finally attains immortality, she remains a presence on the series.

There are certainly echoes to Black Widow and how it handles Natasha and adoptive sister Yelena’s (Florence Pugh) strained reconciliation after the older sister got out of the Red Room while the younger was still caught in its web. Their bickering banter about vests and poses, their differing memories of their false childhood, and their respective feelings of abandonment are what elevated Black Widow’s standalone outing—and made it even more tragic, on multiple levels, that this was the only time we would see the two of them in a movie together.

What Alias Predicted: Sister stories are gold! The Rambaldi storylines would mean nothing if they didn’t hinge on a tragically preordained confrontation, just as the MCU’s Red Room depiction seemed overdone until it was presented within the context of multiple generations’ differing experiences with its bloody legacy.

What Superhero Stories Can Still Learn: More stories about sisters! With Nat dead not long after she and Yelena had just started to bond again, it’s vital that Yelena’s future MCU appearances show her still grappling with the little time they got together.

After all, the best superhero stories are the ones that can feel just as fresh now as they did 20 years ago.

Alias is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The post How Alias Anticipated Modern Superhero Storytelling appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[interestarticles]

Best Movies Of The Year 1980 - Top 20 Films Of 1980

What Are The Best Movies Of The Year 1980?

From New York to Los Angeles this is a question that will get a different answer from every person you ask. There were some great films in the 1980s, and 1980 started the decade off with a bang as a year full of innovation in every way throughout all of society, and it was the start of some exciting new techniques, technologies, and ideas in the film industry in particular with many movies from the year 1980 introducing revolutionary and pioneering cinematic visions. Many people think that some of the best 80s movies of the decade came out in 1980. In this article post, we will go through our top picks for the 20 best movies of 1980, you might be surprised to find out which movies made it on the list! 1) Kramer vs. Kramer In 1980, "Kramer vs. Kramer" was released and became a huge success at the box office. The movie starred Meryl Streep as Joanna Kramer, Dustin Hoffman as Ted Kramer, Jane Alexander as Marylin Jaffe-Jenson, and Justin Henry as Billy Kramer. This film won five Academy Awards in 1981 including Best Picture of 1979 or 1980. It also received nominations for best director (Robert Benton), best actor (Dustin Hoffman), and best-adapted screenplay based on another work (Erica Mann). It is now considered one of the most significant Hollywood films ever made about divorce because it provides nuance to both sides of an argument. 2) The Shining This iconic horror classic film directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall was released in 1980. It is based on Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name. The film has been ranked a number of times as one of the best horror movies ever made and is now considered to be one of Kubrick's best films. It was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Actor in Leading Role--Jack Nicholson) and won none at the time. The Shining also received nominations for Best Director - Stanley Kubrick), Best Adapted Screenplay--Steven Spielberg/Stanley Kubrick). Its reputation grew over time, eventually earning an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. 3) Being There Hal Ashby himself had been nominated for an Academy Award in 1971 with directing The Last Detail. It is a film that could be classified as both comedy and drama, but the emphasis on this 1980 release lies more on its comedic aspects. While it was not one of the most acclaimed films when it came out, many now consider Being There to be a classic film about society's relationship with television at the time. It offers commentary on economic inequality and how people are often reduced to simple archetypes who can easily fit into neat narratives for consumption purposes. 4) Time Bandits Time Bandits, a 1980 British fantasy film about adventure, was co-written by Terry Gilliam. It stars Sean Connery and John Cleese as well as Shelley Duvall and Ralph Richardson. Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm. Peter Vaughan and David Warner are also featured. It is a whimsical kids' movie with the fantasy adventure of time travel that has been ranked as one of the best movies ever made by many critics. Gilliam has referred to time bandits as first in his "Trilogy of Imagination", which includes Brazil (1985), and then The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (88). They all revolve around the "craziness and incoherence of our society, and the desire for escape through every means. These films all focus on the struggles and attempts to escape through imagination. Brazil is seen through the eyes of a young man, Time Bandits through a child's eyes, and Munchausen through an old man's eyes. Time Bandits, in particular, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. 5) Pennies from Heaven Quite a departure from his previous work, this film is much more lighthearted and comedic than the serious dramas of The Miracle Worker or Bonnie and Clyde. The plot revolves around Arthur Parker (Steve Martin), whose life becomes increasingly chaotic as he tries to juggle two jobs, an impending child custody battle for his daughter, and a demanding girlfriend who wants him to give up one job so that they can have some time together. 6) Airplane! This Leslie Nielsen instant comedy classic was one of the highest-grossing movies of 1980. The movie is about an airplane crew that must find a way to land their plane after food poisoning breaks out on board and the pilots become incapacitated, with only two inexperienced passengers who happen to be a doctor (Robert Hays) and a flight attendant (Julie Hagerty) qualified to land the plane. Airplane! was one of the most successful films at theaters in 1980 It had more than $83 million worth of ticket sales by year's end - it became one of Leslie Nielsen's most popular roles ever The film also helped launch Robert Hays' career as a leading man, though he later found greater success playing comedic supporting characters before retiring from acting. 7) The Empire Strikes Back One of the most famous of the 1980s movies, The Empire Strikes Back is remembered for its numerous plot twists and turns as well as introducing fan-favorite Yoda The film features Mark Hamill reprising his role as Luke Skywalker in this second installment of George Lucas' Star Wars series and it was the first star wars to be released on VHS. Featuring a mixture of live-action footage with high-quality animation from Japanese company Toho, it became one of the best critically acclaimed movies ever. In 1997, it won an American Film Institute award for being among the top 100 films since 1941. 8) Raging Bull 1980 was a strong year for movies, and Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull is one of the most acclaimed action films to be released that year. It stars Robert De Niro in an Academy Award-winning performance as new york boxer Jake La Motta, who has a turbulent affair with Kim Basinger's Vickie. The film depicts how new york boxing served as both his escape from domestic abuse but also led him on a self-destruction path. In addition to being nominated for ten Oscars (including best picture), it won two including best actor for Robert de Niro and best director awards respectively. Released by United Artists, the movie has ranked among the top 100 American Films ever made according to AFI rankings. This release is considered one of the best films of the 80s by many critics. 9) Kagemusha One of the most interesting and well-made movies that 1980 has to offer, Kagemusha tells the story of a warlord who is critically injured and after being buried alive. The movie was directed by Akira Kurosawa and stars Tatsuya Nakadai in one of his best performances ever as both warrior leader Katsuyori Shibata and an imposter named Shingen Yashida. Released in Japan on April 20th, 1980, it became the second-highest-grossing film at the Japanese box office just behind The Return of Godzilla (1984). Kagemusha made its international debut at Cannes Film Festival's Directors Fortnight where it won two major awards: Special Jury Prize for Best Direction and Grand Prix du Festival International du Film - Art. 10) The Gods Must Be Crazy Part comedy, part drama, The Gods Must Be Crazy is a timeless classic. Released in 1980, the film follows Xi (N!xau), an out-of-touch bushman who lives happily with his family until he encounters Coca Cola for the first time and it changes their world forever. The premise of this movie makes us laugh because we can relate to how much more comfortable life was before modern society became so intricate that things like Coke began infiltrating every aspect of our lives. We're drawn into Xi's story as he goes from living peacefully with his tribe to being thrust into a completely different reality when they start hunting down any remaining cases of coca-cola at stores all over town! It also touches on some deeper themes such as the cultural modern world where his customs and rituals mean nothing. Xi's journey is our own as we watch the culture clash of modern society, with all its good intentions and never-ending thirst for new things to consume, come into contact with a simpler time that has long since passed by. The humorous film release was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film but lost out to Italy’s Cinema Paradiso (1988). 11) Caddyshack Released in 1980 this classic comedy film by Harold Ramis is widely considered one of the funniest movies ever made by fans and critics alike. It features an amazing comedic all-star ensemble cast, including Chevy Chase as a rich playboy who turns caddie in order to get girls; Ted Knight as Judge Smails, who wants to keep his country club memberships exclusive and prestigious; Rodney Dangerfield as Ty Webb, a millionaire golfer-cum-caddy who has been banned from all other golf courses for being too good. Also featuring Bill Murray as Carl Spackler, the groundskeeper at Bushwood Country Club whose only goal seems to be killing off gophers with any weapon he can devise (including explosives); Michael O'Keefe as Danny Noonan, a young man hired by Judge Smails's daughter (Castle) to caddy for him; and Brian Doyle-Murray as Lou Loomis, the club's ultra-snobby head professional. 12) The Blues Brothers Another instant classic 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers are best known for its 1980 car chases. Starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Joliet Jake & Elwood Blues respectively, the two brothers who perform a blues show before being arrested by police. They break out of jail with their friends to save an orphanage from foreclosure through satanic cult leader sheik Abdul Khadaffi's "Elvis-Is-King" rally in Chicago Illinois on Mothers Day 1980 at noon. The film has been praised by audiences and critics alike for its music, screenplay, and performances but criticized for its lack of character development (most likely due to budget constraints). This was even acknowledged during production when director John Landis told cast members not to act too much because "no one is going to see this movie." The 1980 car chases are iconic and highly regarded by film critics. One of the most memorable moments in 1980 was when Elwood Blues while driving his 1980 Chevy Malibu, spots a cat on the front fender as he's being chased by police officers from Illinois State Troopers who try to arrest him for not wearing seat belts (the law at that time). The chase ends with Jake & Elwood crashing into an old man sitting atop a 1980 Chevy Monte Carlo. After striking them, the cops then swerve quickly around their fallen comrade before continuing after our heroes. 13) 9 To 5 9 to 5 (listed in the opening credits as Nine to Five) is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Colin Higgins, who wrote the screenplay with Patricia Resnick. It stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton as three working women who live out their fantasies of getting even with and overthrowing the company's autocratic, "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" boss, played by Dabney Coleman. The film grossed over $103.9 million and is the 20th-highest-grossing comedy film. As a star vehicle for Parton—already established as a successful singer, musician, and songwriter—it launched her permanently into mainstream popular culture. A television series of the same name based on the film ran for five seasons, and a musical version of the film (also titled 9 to 5), with new songs written by Parton, opened on Broadway on April 30, 2009. 9 to 5 is number 74 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" and has an 83% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. 14) Smokey And The Bandit 2 Smokey and the Bandit 2 Is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason, And Dom DeLuise. This film is a sequel to 1977's film Smokey and the Bandit. The original release of the film was in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. Bo "Bandit", Darville (Burt Reynolds), and Cledus "Snowman," Snow (Jerry Reed) transport an elephant to the GOP National Convention. Sheriff Buford T. Justice, Jackie Gleason (Jackie Gleason), is once more in hot pursuit. 15) Superman 2 Superman II, a 1980 superhero movie directed by Richard Lester, is written by Mario Puzo, David, and Leslie Newman and is based on a story by Puzo about the DC Comics character Superman. It features Gene Hackman and Terence Stamp, Terence Stamp, Ned Beatty, and Sarah Douglas. The film was first released in Australia and Europe on December 4, 1980. It was also released in other countries during 1981. Megasound is a high-impact surround sound system that's similar to Sensurround and was used for select premiere Superman II engagements. The Salkinds decided in 1977 that they would simultaneously film Superman and its sequel. Principal photography began in March 1977 and ended in October 1978. There were tensions between Richard Donner, the original director, and the producers. It was decided to stop filming the sequel (of which 75 percent was already completed) and instead finish the first film. After the December 1978 release of Superman, Donner was fired from his post as director and was replaced by Lester. Many cast members and crew members declined to return following Donner's firing. Lester was officially acknowledged as the director. Principal photography resumed in September 1979 and ended in March 1980. Film critics gave the film positive reviews, praising the performances of Reeve, Stamp, and Hackman as well as the visual effects and humor. The film grossed $190million against a $54 million production budget. 16) Friday The 13th Friday the 13th, 1980 American slasher movie, is directed and produced by Sean S. Cunningham. Written by Victor Miller, it stars Betsy Palmer and Adrienne King. The plot centers on a group of teenager camp counselors, who are each murdered by an unknown killer as they attempt to reopen an abandoned summer camp. Cunningham, inspired by John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) success, put out an advertisement in Variety to sell the film. Miller was still writing the screenplay. Filming began in New York City after casting the film. It was shot in New Jersey during summer 1979 on an estimated budget of $550,000. The finished film was the subject of a bidding war. Paramount Pictures won domestic distribution rights while Warner Bros. Pictures took European rights. Friday the 13th, which was released on May 9, 1980, was a huge box office hit, earning $59.8 million globally. The film received mixed reviews, some praised its cinematography, score, and performances while others criticized it for depicting graphic violence. It was the first independent film of its type to be distributed in the U.S. by major studios. The film's box office success led it to many sequels, a crossover film with A Nightmare on Elm Street, and a reboot of the series in 2009. 17) Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is a 1980 space opera film directed and produced by Mike Hodges. It was based on Alex Raymond's King Features comic strip. The film stars Sam J. Jones and Melody Anderson as well as Max von Sydow, Max von Sydow, Max von Sydow, and Topol. Topol is supported by Timothy Dalton and Mariangela Melato. Peter Wyngarde plays the role of Peter Wyngarde. The film features Flash Gordon (Jones), a star quarterback, and his friends Dale Arden and Hans Zarkov (Topol), as they unify the warring factions on the planet Mongo to resist the oppression by Ming the Merciless (von Sydow), a man who wants to destroy Earth. Producer Dino De Laurentiis had been involved in two comic book adaptations: Danger: Diabolik and Barbarella (both 1968). He had also previously worked on Danger. De Laurentiis declined a George Lucas directorial offer, a Star Wars version directed by Federico Fellini was also rejected. De Laurentiis hired Nicolas Roeg as director and Enter the Dragon writer Michael Allin as the lead developer on the film. They were replaced in 1977 by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and Hodges, who had written De Laurentiis’ remake of King Kong, this was due to Roeg's dissatisfaction. Flash Gordon was mostly shot in England, with several soundstages at Elstree Studios and Shepperton Studios. It uses a camp style that is similar to the 1960s TV series Batman, which Semple created. Jones quit the film before principal photography was overdue to a dispute between De Laurentiis and Jones. Much of Jones's dialogue was dubbed by Peter Marinker. The documentary Life After Flash examines the main subjects of Jones' departure and his career after it was released. It is known for its Queen-inspired musical score, which features orchestral sections by Howard Blake. Flash Gordon was a box-office success in Italy and the United Kingdom, but it did poorly in other markets. The film received generally positive reviews upon its initial release and has since developed a large cult following. There have been many attempts at sequels or reboots, but none of them have ever made it to production. 18) Cheech & Chong's Next Movie Cheech and Chong's Next Movie, a 1980 comedy film by Tommy Chong, is the second feature-length Cheech & Chong project, after Up in Smoke. It was released by Universal Pictures. Cheech and Chong go on a mission: siphon gasoline to their neighbor's car. They then continue their day. Cheech works at a movie theater, while Chong looks for something to smoke (a roach). Then Chong revs up his indoor motorcycle and plays loud rock music that disrupts the neighborhood. Cheech is fired and the couple goes to Donna, Cheech's girlfriend, and welfare officer. Cheech seduces Donna over her objections and gets her in trouble with her boss. 19) Coal Miner's Daughter Coal Miner's Daughter, a 1980 American musical biographical film, was directed by Michael Apted and based on a screenplay by Tom Rickman. The film follows Loretta Lynn's rise to stardom as a country singer, starting in her teen years with a poor family. The film is based on Lynn's 1976 biography by George Vecsey. Read the full article

[theroseandcrown]

The Rose & Crown: Chapter Twenty-Four

Rating: M Chapters: 24/24

Summary: Clara is getting ready for her big date with Danny Pink when she is unexpectedly visited by the sound of a telephone ringing.

Read this story on another platform: Archive of Our Own Fan Fiction WattPad

Present Day

“The Satanic Nebula,” the Doctor called towards the other side of the wall, then shifted his attention to the brightly lit fish tank situated above the icebox. “Or the lagoon of lost stars. Or we could go to Brighton!” He exited the small kitchen and followed the sound of his companion’s shoes tapping around in the next room. Discovering her in her bedroom, he stopped at the entrance and leaned against the doorway. “I’ve got a whole day worked out,” he informed her, somewhat impressed with himself for having managed his time in advance to prepare something for them.

“Sorry but, as you can see, I’ve got plans,” she replied over her shoulder as she hurried to put on her coat.

A confused look passed over his furrowed face as he studied her, unable to place what was unnaturally different about her more than usual. “Have you?” he inquired, failing miserably at sounding interested.

“Look at me,” she invited, finally acknowledging him for the first time all evening.

“Yeah, okay,” he replied, perplexed by the strange request. A test maybe?

“No, no, no. Like, no. Look at me,” she tried again, signalling to her hair and clothing as she approached him.

“Yep, looking.” Definitely a test, he thought. But what could I be missing?

“Seriously?” she asked, feeling deflated by his misuse of the obvious.

He found himself increasingly distracted by the brightly lit features of her face, his eyes fixed upon what he could only assume was some sort of reddish war paint plastered to her lips. “Why is your face all coloured in?” he questioned her, watching obliviously as she returned to the mirror to begin applying a floral-scented liquid to her neck and wrists. Something was definitely different about her, he was sure of it. “Are you taller?” he asked, sizing her up and down.

“Heels,” she answered, lifting her foot to reveal one of her black heightened shoes. Taking one last look at her finished form in the mirror, she turned and headed towards him once more.

“What, do you have to reach a high shelf?”

“Right,” she replied, smirking at his adorable cluelessness as she passed him in the doorway. “Got to go. Going to be late!”

“For a shelf?” he prodded, trying to prevent her from leaving before he had solved her little mystery.

“Bye!” she called to him and headed towards the front door. She reached for the knob and began to turn it when an unexpected sensation of fear caused her to stop, freezing her in place. A tremendous sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach was felt as if something were warning her of an oncoming threat. “Don’t answer it,” she blurted out inadvertently as though the words had been spoken by someone else.

The Doctor, employed by his curiosity, removed himself from the doorway and stepped into the hall. His head tilted slightly to the side as he studied her from afar. “I’m sorry?” he called to her.

His words seemed to dissolve into oblivion as her consciousness was dragged deep into the dark unvisited centre of her thoughts. Before she could determine the cause, her mind became flooded with thousands of images bursting their way into her head faster than she could even process them. She heard herself gasp under her breath as the visions tore through her defences and shattered her understanding of reality altogether. The more she tried to latch onto them, the quicker they passed her by. It was as if someone else’s terrifying memories were being downloaded directly into her thoughts all at once. A dark mask, a hooded demon, a red raven. The frightening images and emotions rushing through her were so very foreign and yet strangely intimate as they consumed her. Red grass, an infant girl, a vast sea of unknown faces, strange exotic new destinations never seen before. They felt so real, so powerful, it was as if she were drowning in the depths of an endless out-of-body experience. She found herself questioning her existence as the vast amount of fragmented memories swarmed around her. The part of her still fighting to take control was desperately clawing its way to the surface of her thoughts hoping to latch onto any aspect of familiarity before she became lost in the sea of inevitable insanity.

At last, the faint whisper of the Doctor’s voice penetrated the darkness like a pillar of light guiding her back to him. Following the sound of his calming lull, the walls around her slowly faded into recognition once again. Her eyes searched for anything commonplace that might anchor her to this world until they met with the Doctor’s own. The expression on his face suggested he had been waiting for a reply from her. Quickly attempting to shake the images from her mind, she released the knob and turned towards him. “Sorry, what?” she called back.

“You said, ‘Don’t answer it,’” he accused her softly.

“No, I didn’t,” she disputed, unwilling to accept the temporary loss of control in his presence.

“I’m rather sure that you did,” he insisted, taking a hesitant step in her direction.

She could feel his inquiring eyes upon her, dissecting her piece by piece in search of answers. And yet, as frightened as she was of the true meaning behind the strange visions burning their way into her thoughts, something about the look in his eyes felt calming as if he were luring her towards him for protection. Slowly approaching him, they looked to each other with an equally puzzled expression as if trying to decide amongst themselves in which order they were supposed to speak next. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t find the words to calm his growing concern for her well-being. She feared the thought of telling him the truth. That he would somehow think she’d gone mad. And maybe she had. What other possible explanation could there be? As he continued to study her, she couldn’t help the uneasy feeling of nervousness growing within her at having become the target of his sudden interest. The longer he retained his position in front of her, the harder it was to keep hidden what was going on inside her head. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak but was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a telephone ringing nearby which shattered the awkward silence between them. Startled by the noise, her head quickly turned towards the entrance of the living room where the sight of the time machine could be well observed.

The Doctor raised his brow and followed his companion’s distracted gaze towards the direction of the blue box parked in the middle of the room. Clara stared at the TARDIS intently as if entranced by its presence there. Her pulse began to rise as the unexpected feeling of déjà vu emanated from somewhere in the back of her mind. “There you go, you’ve got another playmate,” she recited as if by memory, though the words seemed to fall unnaturally from her lips as she spoke them. Through their returned silence, the phone continued to ring.

Returning his attention towards his companion, his eyes narrowed as he continued to ponder her strange behaviour. “It isn’t me. It’s you,” he replied, gesturing towards her pocket.

Her wide eyes shot back to his as if searching for the truth behind his words. Reaching into her back pocket, she hesitantly pulled out her phone and held it in front of her for inspection. She frowned in disbelief as a series of unfamiliar numbers were displayed upon the screen. This isn’t right, declared a voice from somewhere deep inside her mind. Something has changed.

“Are you alright?” he asked, growing more concerned by the less-than-satisfied expression on her face.

“Yeah, sorry,” she replied, trying to mask the rising apprehension forming at the thought of who or what could be calling her.

“Who is it?”

“I dunno.”

“Well, aren’t you going to answer it?” he questioned her, taking notice of her unusual reluctance. It wasn’t like her.

Taking a deep breath, she brought her hand to the screen and hesitantly hovered her finger over the answer button. “What if something happens?” she asked nervously.

“Like what?”

“A thing.”

“It’s just a phone, Clara,” he assured her, attempting to ease her scattered mind. “Nothing-”

“Nothing happens when you answer the phone,” she interjected, observing as he stared at her in a bewildered state of silence. “That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it?” she asked, though his reaction only seemed to confirm her accusation. She lowered her glance towards the ringing object. Staring at the screen one last time, she pressed the button and answered the call. “Hello?” she spoke into the receiver. “Who is this?” The suspension between them grew by the second as they waited for an answer.

“Clara?” asked a familiar voice she knew very well.

The tension in every muscle of her body quickly dissipated as she realized who the voice belonged to. “Yes, hi! Sorry, I didn’t recognize the number.”

The Doctor felt his face frown with displeasure as he finally put two and two together. “Oh, I see. Is that the boyfriend then?” he asked, not even attempting to hide his irritation over the diversion taking place between them and anything else that could have been more interesting.

She glared at the Time Lord murderously and brought her finger to her lips to shush him. Turning around, she stepped away and plugged her ear to bring even the smallest amount of privacy to her conversation. The old man rolled his eyes and scoffed quietly to himself over her ridiculous attempt at ignoring him. “Yeah sorry, running a bit late. I’m just about to head out. Where are you calling from?” she wondered, making her way towards the front door. Before reaching it, she paused momentarily and leaned her shoulder against the wall. “Oh,” she replied discouragingly, trying to hide her disappointment. “No no, it’s fine. Yeah, totally understand. I was feeling a bit tired, actually,” she lied. “Rain check then. Okay. Yep, see you tomorrow. Bye.” Lowering the phone, she hung her head in defeated silence and ended the call.

Though her back remained turned to him, he needn’t see her face to understand what had happened. He uncomfortably cleared his throat, feeling very unsure of what he should do or say next that might alter the sombre mood in the room. “So, you’ve been stood up I take it?” he asked, then immediately thought to himself that it probably sounded a lot better in his head.

Clara quickly gathered her thoughts and did her best to appear unaltered by the unexpected interruption to her night. “Yeah, uh, I guess something came up,” she answered, turning towards him once more. Returning the phone to her pocket, she slowly made her way to him and concentrated all of her energy on trying not to feel sorry for herself.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he inquired delicately. Though concerned for her current state of mind, a part of him remained hopeful that the sudden disruption to the evening would still work out in his favour.

“I’m fine,” she replied unconvincingly towards the floor.

“I see,” he conceded, seeing little point in challenging her obvious deception. He didn’t have to. He knew her all too well. As the silence grew between them, he peered at her hanging head and gently lifted her chin to meet his curious expression. “How did you know what I was going to say?” he wondered, eyeing her suspiciously.

Her eyes passed back and forth to each of his as she searched for an answer. “I dunno. Just a weird feeling I guess. Maybe we have been knocking about too long. I’m starting to think like you,” she teased with a warm smile. He matched her smile with his own as he continued to hold her in his grasp. His thumb inadvertently grazed over the surface of her cheek as if he had become possessed by her. His eyes seemed to be pulled into hers at their strong connection to each other. She found his unexpected touch oddly soothing despite her lingering fear of what was happening inside her head. Embracing his simple display of affection, she caught herself glancing towards his lips for the first time since she was in the presence of his last body. The thought alone of what they would feel like against hers betrayed everything she thought she understood about their relationship. And yet, the longer he held her, the more natural his sudden intimacy had become. In that one small moment, she sensed something developing between them that she hadn’t noticed before. Buried somewhere beneath her many layers of security was an aspect of familiarity she couldn’t quite place. A feeling she couldn’t explain as if he had held her this way many times before. Whatever the cause, she felt the need to break their connection to each other before she became lost in his gaze any further. It took all of her remaining willpower to carefully pry herself from his grasp. She nervously cleared her throat and quickly attempted to change the subject. “Well, I suppose it’s just you and me then. How do I look?” she asked, raising her arms from her sides.

“Uh, well,” he began, unsure of how to respond. “Sort of short and round-ish. But with a good personality, which is the main thing.”

“I meant my clothes. I’ve just changed,” she noted, gesturing towards her appearance once again.

“Oh,” he stated awkwardly, looking her up and down. “Well, good for you. Still making an effort I see.”

“Thanks,” she replied, frowning at his unsuccessful attempt to cheer her up in his own Doctory kind of way. Hoping to relieve her mind from the strange and very disappointing turn of events, she looked to her best friend and sighed. “Well, come on then. You’re my date.”

“Who, me?” he asked, pointing to himself in disbelief. “Oh, no. No, no, no. No, I don’t think so.”

“Yes, you. Like it or not, you still owe me from that little death-defying detour to the frost fair last week,” she pointed out.

“I agreed to no such terms,” he retorted. “If I’m not mistaken, you rather enjoyed that one.”

“I was almost vaporized by an incendiary grenade, no thanks to you,” she bit back.

“You’re still here, aren’t you? You can’t expect me to come running every time there’s a minor threat of death. We’d never get anything accomplished.”

“Easy for you to say. You weren’t the one left alone with Strax, all day,” she replied, squinting her eyes at him.

“You’re right, that sounds terrible.”

“You think?!”

“I’m starting to, yes.”

“Good. Glad to know at least something works up there,” she noted, gesturing towards his daft head. “Now come on, let’s go! Chop chop!” she insisted. She took his hand and began to pull him towards the door as he sulked behind her.

“I don’t do dates, I’m not a dating person!” he argued, trying to release himself from the vice-like hold she had on him.

“Not sure you get a vote,” she disputed, continuing to drag him down the hallway.

Realizing too late that he was rapidly losing the battle between them, he quickly pulled her into him and placed his arm around her waist to herd her towards the direction of the blue box. “I’ve just remembered! I know this extraordinary little restaurant at the other end of the universe. They only serve invisible food there! Bit of a gamble, but I’m sure you’ll love it. Let’s just pop into the TARDIS and-”

“Oh no you don’t,” she spun out of his grasp and pointed a stern finger up at him. “I’m not falling for that one again. The last time you promised me dinner on another planet, we nearly drowned trying to escape from an angry mob of fish people!”

“And? We didn’t, did we? Besides, what’s dinner without a bit of perilous entertainment?” he countered.

“Just dinner!” she exclaimed, trying her hardest not to murder him out of frustration.

“Exactly, boring. Very not me.”

“Doctor, so far my night has gone horribly and I’m extremely upset about it. Just this once, I’d like to pretend I still know how to live a normal life among actual people without things exploding all around me! Is that so much to ask?” she inquired adamantly. He opened his mouth to speak. “Never mind, don’t answer that,” she stopped him. “Look, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to walk out that door and do my very best to enjoy what’s left of the evening. And if you care about me in any way at all, you’ll put away your screwdriver for just one night and come join me.” Allowing him only a moment to think it over, she turned from him to make her way down the hall and out of her flat leaving the door wide open behind her.

Surprised by her unexpected leave of him, he found himself torn by the choice she was forcing him to make. His focus teetered between his time machine and the direction of his impossibly stubborn companion. Either way he saw it, it all came down to which decision could be worse. Travelling without his best friend by his side or the gruelling experience of having to mingle amongst other humans. It was so unfair.

“Doctor?” she called from outside. “Are you coming?!”

Having weighed his limited options in the moment of brief abandonment, he rolled his eyes and childishly groaned at the question. “Fine!” he conceded, knowing deep down he couldn’t resist the charm she had about her that continued to draw him in no matter how hard he tried to fight it. He adored that about her and wouldn’t change it for anything. Reluctantly making his way towards the exit, he took hold of the knob and called to her from the doorway. “But there will be absolutely no dancing!” he insisted.

“Yeah, still not sure you get a vote!” she called back.

He frowned and glanced at his hand still grasping the knob of the open door, suddenly realizing that she had already anticipated the choice he planned to make. He had fallen right into her clever laid trap. She knew him all too well. Returning his gaze towards her direction, he sighed defeatedly and watched from the doorway as she strode farther away from him. He observed intently as she made it to the end of the walkway and peered over her shoulder at him with those irresistible sparkling brown eyes. As she turned the corner out of sight, he allowed a warm smile to spread across his face before closing the door behind him to pursue the next potentially dangerous mission of following after her.

[goliath-de-senfina-sango]

Things get darker right before they get brighter in the end, something three plucky teens are about to learn. Sometimes you just want that darkness to have never had a reason to come for you in the first place. One has to be careful what they wish for, of course.

Welcome to the end, friends

Danny was on the ground, unmoving.

The ghost left with a cheerful wave, saying, “Tata!”  Like he hadn’t just ruined their lives worse than the first time Tucker had heard Danny’s screams at their loudest.  Like it was simply a wonderful day and they had engaged in the most wonderful of conversations, not a fight that ended with one of them-

Danny was in Tucker’s arms, unmoving and pale.

Tucker was trying everything he could think of, removing most of Tucker’s tops and trying to perform every life-saving action he knew off, pressing against his chest, trying to breathe more breath into his lungs, keeping pressure on the bleeding and burnt wound when he saw it.

Danny was in Tucker’s arms, unmoving, pale, and bleeding.

Tucker knew everything was blurry because tears were clouding his vision.  He knew he was crying. He knew he was shaking with the force of his sobs and for once in his life, he couldn’t bring himself to give half a damn about that because Danny-

Danny was in Tucker’s arms, unmoving, pale, bleeding, and his heart wasn’t beating no matter how long Tucker listened for it.

Sam was doing something, pulling out Danny’s weapons, and Tucker wanted to scream at her that she’d done enough with Fenton weapons already.  He wanted to scream and rage at her for what she had done so far with Fenton Tech. He wanted to go to the Fentons and rip them all a new one for making what they made.

Because Danny was dead in Tucker’s arms, and screaming and crying were the only things he could do about it.

But he didn’t scream at Sam, he just watched as she pulled out one of Danny’s paintbrushes and dipped it in the ectoplasm of the cartridge in one of his guns.  She started drawing on Danny’s face, his arms, his chest, and then pulled out another cartridge of charged ectoplasm in another gun and poured it in Danny’s mouth, tilted his head so that he would swallow.  “Chant with me. Chant with me Tucker, we have to fix this!”

Tucker didn’t know any Hebrew, decided he’d learn both because Sam was his friend and because apparently, she could do things that could save their lives with it.  Tucker didn’t need to know what he was saying to say it, and he did say it, over and over again for the next 10 minutes, until the drawings on Danny’s body lit up like fire and every ray of light rushed toward him and everything went dark.  Tucker could hear the song of the universe dimming in his ears and knew nearly for a fact that Danny was sucking the ectoplasmic energy into him along with every other flavor of power within blocks of him. Tucker would let the sun itself go black just to hear Danny’s laugh again.

The darkness faded, Danny’s body was outlined in light, the markings were gone, and Danny groaned.  His chest rose and dropped, his heart was beating, color was coming back to his skin, he was as warm as he’d been since the accident.  Danny was alive in Tucker’s arms, and Tucker wanted to cry even harder than he already had. Instead, the put Danny’s binder back on him, Sam grabbed his shirt and jacket, and Tucker carried Danny out to their hoverboards.  They flew to Sam’s house, Tucker staying as high and close to the sun as he could to let Danny soak in all the light he needed. When they got to Sam’s house, Tucker didn’t let Danny go until he was being set on a love seat on Sam’s balcony.

There were, of course, jokes to be made about the way Danny curled up in the fleeting October sunlight and how his fluffball curls and height combined with this to make him much like a kitten.  Jokes about him being a cross between Superman and the Martian Manhunter could’ve also been made. Danny was a white-haired anime boy, that could be remarked upon with laughs aplenty. Tucker made no such jokes.

Tucker put to use the information he’d gathered at his last LARPing session at furrycon after a shank attempt by a guy who’d wandered into the park where he’d been LARPing at that took their cosplay a bit too seriously.  That being that leather was wonderful armor, silk blocked stabs fantastically when a blade slid through said leather, and that one should always wear cotton under silk anything because sweating to death after a fight near to death wasn’t fun.  He’d smacked a crazy guy upside the head and gotten a useful lesson out of that. Tucker’s older cousin could supply the leather, Sam could order fine silk jackets and pants for all of them, Danny had cotton shirts already, and Sidney offered to use intangibility to fuse the two together.  Tucker commented that the leather would look fitting on Sam since she was more of a punk anyway. She called him a furry, he called her a weeb, and they both explained the concepts to Sydney.

That was all fine and dandy against most blunt force, stabbing and slashing that even a ghost could probably do, but against ghosts and their intangibility, there were few places to go.  Sam had her magick book but Tucker didn’t want to touch on anything supernatural for a while and unless she could prove that her wards were working, he wouldn’t exactly trust Danny’s life with them.  Convincing Jack Fenton that he needed some easily worn and hidden accessory to prevent possession was almost sadly easy, the only condition being that Tucker had to wear one of those horrible looking hazmat suits.  Tucker let it hang in his closet, as he had no intention of matching Jack Fenton’s fashion sense.

One might feel that Tucerk and his friends were being a bit excessive in their measures to keep Danny padded up against the world, but such an individual hadn’t seen their best friend since age 1 die in front of them by the same person’s hand twice so that particular person could kindly go shove their opinion where the sun don’t shine in Tucker’s very polite opinion.

Danny himself was groggy for most of his recovery time and had clearly caught on that they were being extra protective of him.  While Sam was introducing Sidney to anime and videogames and Tucker was showing him the best comics and music, Danny always had whoever wasn’t with the others within arm’s reach.  He was jumpy when it came to his ghost sense telling him that Sidney was there, had his hood up whenever they were outside, and even though they’d been near forcing Agatha’s cooking down his throat at every meal they could, Danny had yet to Go Ghost.  Sam brought up the idea of taking down the shapeshifter and Danny balked at the topic, bringing up the frogs, the latest anime that she had shown Sidney or really anything else when she did this. Tucker was more than fine with this since no ghost mode meant no seeking out danger which meant that the only fights they were dealing with included Dash, Kwan and Dale making fun of them for being a furry, a weeb and a Fenton.  Seeing Sam put her martial arts to use when Dash tried to stuff Danny in a locker was worth the detention he got for tripping Dale as he rushed in to help. He spent it with Sam anyway so that was fine. If wanting Danny safer than Amity was selfish then Tucker was as far from selfless as possible.

“Hey, Danny,” Tucker said while he worked on finishing up the Spector Deflector that Dr. Fenton had started for him in Danny’s workshop.  “There’s a swap meet coming up in Harrison Park this Saturday. Wanna come with? I’m gonna get a set of dice if I can and see if I can show Sidney DnD.  Maybe we all can play even.” He grinned. “We can get you a new bowling ball so you can destroy Sam in bowling.”

“Bro, you’ll be wrecked with her,’ Danny challenged from where he drew in his art book instead of doing his homework.  Tucker was procrastinating by making ghost hunting tech, he couldn’t blame Danny. “That sounds cool.”

“Awesome.”  Tucker set down his tools and pulled up his safety goggles.  “Can you come over and poke this? Very lightly and just a little in case I’m as done as I think I am.”  Danny obliged and there was a loud SNAP accompanied by a yelp and Tucker patted Danny’s shoulder.  “Looks like I’m done with the internals. Now all I gotta do is adjust it so that it can ignore your ectosignature, and Sidney’s and Agatha’s, and it’ll really be done.”

“Done for your armor idea, right?”  Danny scoffed, slugging Tucker in the shoulder while he looked for the blueprint he’d downloaded of the part that’d track ectosignatures in the Fenton Finder.  “Sidney told me about it while we were watching Star Wars. Or should I call it his guard duty shift? Cause I know what you guys are doing and while I appreciate your concern over my safety, I’m the one with powers here.”

“20 hours straight of unconsciousness and tears say that superpowers don’t mean you don’t need protection against people with the same superpowers.”  Tucker huffed. “If we’d been wearing some armor like we’re making then that fish thing probably wouldn’t have been able to bite through me like it did.  Silk and piercing ya know.” He bumped shoulders with Danny when he went quiet and forced his lips up into a smile. “And besides, your parents have literally no fashion sense.  A leather jacket lined with silk? Leather pants, probably with studs in it since Sam is involved? Dude, that’s cool as fuck looking. You’ll be the best-dressed ghost out there.”  Danny laughed and shook his head. Tucker got to work setting up the design for the Fenton Fabricator™ to make for the Spector Deflector. He also considered asking for a cut of the royalties when the belt inevitably became a Fenton Brand item, since he’d finished it.  “You think putting on clothes in ghost form will invert their colors like your suit?”

“Fuck you, Tuck, now I have to find out.”  Danny huffed and Tucker snickered. For a moment everything was quiet, and then arms were wrapping around his middle.  “Thanks, Tuck. For everything.” Tucker looped an arm around Danny and smushed him against his side.

“That’s what bros are for, man.”  The room was a comfortable quiet after that.  The Fabricator and the generator were humming softly at the edge of Tucker’s once again human limited hearing, the only other sound was their breathing and - Tucker could swear - their heartbeats.  The air was charged with something more than ectoplasm and electricity and Tucker wasn’t sure if Danny knew that as well, but he knew that he could hardly know anything else right then. So naturally, Tucker lowered his hand at Danny’s side and started tickling him.  Danny squeaked, squealed out some giggles, and phased out of his grip when wriggling didn’t work.

“You dick!  Get over here!”

Danny appreciated the effort Sam, Tucker and Sidney were putting in for him, he really honestly did.  Sidney still went to his therapy session with Jazz which Danny could tell were helping him by how bright his aura had gotten, and between him and Jazz at school there were at least a few bright auras to go around, but with how things were going, Danny felt at least a bit suffocated.

Half the auras at school - both student and teacher - were dim enough that Danny almost couldn’t see them.  Dash and company had been especially vicious as of late, calling them every name under the sun and getting into actual fights with him, Tucker and Sam.  Between the three of them they managed well enough - being dragged to martial arts lessons with Sam and fighting eldritch abominations from the afterlife did things for your confidence in facing up to bullies - but it hadn’t ever been this bad before.  And while Tucker and Sam both were clearly brighter than everyone else emotionally, they were skirting around things in the most unsubtle way imaginable and Danny wondered how they kept anything hidden. Sam tried to get him into ghost form to see how fast he could fly, Tucker changed the topic from anything ghostly to something nerdy and Sidney seemed to stare at him as much as he did the movies they were watching.  Sure, Sidney was keeping his eyes on the screen but Danny knew ghosts could see more than just with their eyes and the feeling of being constantly watched was getting more than unnerving.

Saturday was a breath of fresh air.  Sam was maybe coming down with something and Sidney was off exploring the city on his own, so it was just Danny and Tucker buying the stuff they’d come for and laughing their heads off at their dumb jokes.  It was sunny, the crowd was bright with positivity abound, and he was having fun with his best friend in the world. It was nice.

Of course, a ghost attack ruined it.

Cotton candy erupted and flooded the place, and Danny slid under a table while the crowds stampeded away, yanking Tucker under as well.  He reached inside, past the void of darkness into the soft and splintered light at his center. It exploded out to the surface and in a flash of silver glass, shimmering shadows wove his hazmat suit around him and unraveled gravity’s hold on his body.  He shuddered, glitching out of reality - or what he was so very hopeful and sure was reality anyway - and gave Tucker a smile. “Wish me luck.” He slid down into the ground and forward, rising out of a mound of cotton candy as big as himself. There was a woman with long black hair, dark green skin, and blue scarce clothing floating over the sweets and stretching her arms.  “I understand a sweet tooth and all that, but this is a bit dangerously Much.” Danny held out a hand with a smile when a sneer was turned his way. “I’m Danny Phantom, hopefully nice to meet you.”

“ I am Desiree,” she said in some accented blend of every language that Danny knew.  It was headache-inducing and he definitely didn’t like it. “ This confection explosion was hardly my intention boy, I am cursed to use my power to grant the wishes of all those who make them. ”

“What, like a jinni?  If I find and rub your lamp and say ‘I wish I had a dick’ do you complete my tra-”

“ So you have wished it, so shall it be. ”  Her hands went up, green smoke curled around him, through him, within him, caressed that inner light and warmth that was his human body, and Danny shuddered in the wake of power well beyond his ability to fully process.  Before the smoke even cleared, Danny could hear Desiree speaking through gritted teeth. “ Yes, boy I am a Jinni.  One of your kind cursed me, both to be trapped in that infernal bottle, but also to use my power for all who catch my ear. ”

Danny was reeling when the smoke cleared, giving himself a mental review of what he could feel on himself and gawked when he realized what had happened.  “Um. Wow.” Desiree was clearly unimpressed. “Uh, well, I know a way I can he-” a ball of ectoplasma, charged up with energy, raced into Desiree’s gut and knocked her back and Danny really wished that people would stop interrupting him.

“Stay away from him, damn it!  Can’t we have one nice day?” Tucker readied another shot and Danny waved his arms to tell him not to.  “I wish I had stopped you from going into that stupid fucking portal! Then we wouldn’t be in this mess!”  crud.

“ So you have wished it, so shall it be. ”  FUCK .  Green mist filled Danny’s vision, and everything went dark.

[dannyphantom-justiceleauge]

Clone Catastrophe

AN: sorry that this took so long dude. everything got in the way. lol. I hope you like it though.

**

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an: bold is for tom italic is for dan (clones)

Danny landed in the alleyway behind an old apartment building set for demolition later in the year. There was a chill in the air and he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following him but when he looked around nothing was there. He even used his ghost vision but when he felt that something was wrong, something usually was so he was more tense than usual and with good reason. He wasn’t in the best side of Amity anyway. Danny grabbed his backpack from behind the dumpster and shoved the half-full thermos in, planning on emptying it as soon as he got the chance. He started walking home, nothing special. His feet slammed onto the ground in that lazy way, making more noise with his steps without looking meaningful.

He didn’t make it four blocks before he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He narrowed his eyes and made a sharp turn into the corner store he was about to pass. He walked down the first aisle pretending to look around. He watched the mirrors of the corner store no one else but the cashier at the register. He looked through the window, pretending to check out the cases of energy drink with outrageous prices taped on them. He moved away and to another aisle, doing his best to avoid the mirrors. He waited for a second, not seeing anything outside before grabbing some chips and water, purchasing with some change and walked out.

He kept walking home. Amity Park may be protected by Phantom from ghosts, but petty criminals are the police’s territory, doesn’t mean he can’t handle himself but you never know. His ghost sense wasn’t going off so he knew it wasn’t a ghost trying to get the jump on him for one of his buddies he sucked up into the thermos, he wasn’t scared, just wary of what could happen.

He knew someone was following him when he heard a trash can scrape against the ground. No cat can make it move a solid half a foot in one direction while making one sound. No stay animal this side of Amity Park could. He stopped where he was and looked around quickly before jogging to the nearest alley he could find. He crouched behind the dumpster. Whoever it was wouldn’t want to lose sight of him, especially if they knew what he was capable of. So he waited for a moment when he heard the footsteps. He counted them for no reason but waited till whoever it was, was close enough for him to grab.

He jumped out from his hiding place and grabbed the collar of the person, shoving them against the dumpster.

“Why. Are. You. Following. Me?” He asked, his eyes flashed that natural green, slightly illuminating what he was seeing. His grip loosened and his eyes went wide when he realized who he was staring at. It was him...or at least, someone who looked exactly like him minus the eye color. Instead of his icy bright blue, they were solid grey.

Danny was taken by surprise when he was pulled back and the tingling feeling of pain in his nose but he regained his composure. Putting his hand to his nose he looked up from his slouched position. He had to be seeing double.

“Don’t touch him.” The new one snarled.

“Who are you?” Danny asked. The first one stepped forward.

“We’re clones. Vlad Masters created us to defeat you, but we didn’t come out the way he wanted.” The first one said.

Danny was frozen in shock. His mind flashed back to Dani and everything they went through. Danny stood up and pinched his nose. Glaring at the second one. He knew that what they were saying was the only explanation for what he was seeing but he didn’t understand why they searched him out but he knew the responsibility he had to take since they managed to find him. 

“Follow me.”

Danny walked them to his house, sneaking them into his room through the roof. They sat on his bed, side by side. He watched from his bathroom mirror as he washed the blood off his face. He walked out wiping his face with a towel.

"Vlad is going to come looking for you." He said.

The clones were silent.

"Do you have names?"

The first clone shook his head. He looked like Danny's human form while the other was his phantom form.

"The machine must have miscalculated and read the DNA sample as two different sets. That's probably why you guys are separated. What's up with the powers?"

"Split. I have offense, he has defence." The second one said in a much harsher tone.

"Okay. Are you stable? No melting, no pain or unexplained power surges?" He asked. They looked at each other completely in sync.

"Only when we got out."

"All of the power in Vlad's lab went out and the machines nearly blew it up entirely."

Danny was silent for a moment. Trying to make sense of what was happening. When he found Dani, she wasn't stable due to Vlad's DNA. If the two in front of him have any of Vlad's DNA mixed with theirs he has to find a way to stabilize them.

"Okay. I got all I could find on clones and a book or two from the ghost zone-"

"Wait? How do you get material from the Ghost Zone?" Danny asked. Jazz has never been in the ghost zone up until this point.

"I have connections." Jazz said with a slight smirk but continued with what she was saying.

"It seems like there is some lore about clones and their capabilities but its for full ghosts. So I guess this stuff only applies to you." She said holding up the old and kinda ghastly looking Ghost Zone books. "and these apply to you." she said holding up the human books and looking at the human clone.

"Is that a copy of Star Wars the Clone Wars?" Danny asked. Jazz waved him off and plopped the books on his bed before taking a seat.

"How are we gonna hide them from Mom and Dad?" Danny asked.

"We only need to hide one of them. The other one should be fine if he can act enough like you if he sees Mom and Dad. Then again, I don't even think they would notice if there were two of you in the same room."

"That's fair. We need to give them names though."

"How about Dan and Tom?" Jazz suggested.

Danny looked at the clones to get a reaction. They seemed fine with it. Just shrugging.

“Maybe we can hide them in the ghost zone? I’m sure frostbite will be able to help them better than we can.” Danny suggested.

“If they are anything like Dani was, then they probably need something to stabilize them. Ectoplasmic exposure might help?” Jazz suggested.

“Is there anything you aren’t telling us? Maybe forgetting?” Jazz asked, looking up from her book again.

They were silent for a second. Dan spoke up.

“Vlad said we wouldn’t be able to hold our forms for very long due to the mistakes in our DNA and just let us be, I guess till we eventually turned into goop.”

“Why did you guys leave then?” Jazz asked.

“We don’t want to die.” Dan said.