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9worldstales · 4 years ago

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MCU Loki: Why I fear they failed to deliver what they promised

At this point I’m kind of confused by who the “Loki” series is trying to reach or which is the goal/message they’re trying to pass along.

They had tried to intrigue assorted audience but, if you ask me, the series has often failed to deliver what it seemed to promise.

Of course I might be wrong. Or maybe I'm not seeing another type of audience the series aimed and managed to reach.

When the series started I wanted to keep a positive mentality and hope whatever seemed not to work would be fixed along the way or have a reason for existing that I just wasn't seeing because I hadn't seen the full story yet.

However, after 5 episodes I'm starting to lose hope the series will make a genuine effort to reach the fans at whom it seemed to aim.

PART 1 – “LOKI” IS NOT FOR THE OLD FANS WHO PRODUCED META SHOWING HOW HIS TRAUMA DAMAGED HIM

"I think it's the struggle with identity, who you are, who you want to be. I'm really drawn to characters who are fighting for control. Certainly you see that with Loki over the first 10 years of movies, he's out of control at pivotal parts of his life, he was adopted and everything and that manifest itself through anger and spite towards his family." [Loki's Struggle With His Identity Confirmed To Be A Focus Of His Disney+ Series]

What was it about Loki as a character that attracted you? He’s just fun, for one. He has a very playful sense of humor about him. I like how he never quite lets you know what he’s thinking. Beyond that, what I connect to about him is the same thing the legions of fans do, which is his humanity and his vulnerability. This is a guy who—yes, on the one hand, he was the prince of Asgard, seems like a nice life—but his father, in fact, killed his actual birth father, adopted him, lied to him about his heritage and parentage his entire life, he was forced to live in the shadow of his oafish older brother who was born to be king. He’s experienced a lot of trauma, and I think that what he’s looking for is just a little bit of control over his life. Which he feels like maybe he’s never quite had. That’s something I think we can all relate with. [From Loki to Doctor Strange and Star Wars, Michael Waldron Is the New Franchise Whisperer]

Let’s be honest, the audience for the “Loki” series is not really meant to be Marvel movies old time fans who enjoyed “Thor” and “The Avengers”, made countless Meta analyzing Loki’s behaviour and who wanted answers about what happened to Loki prior to “The Avengers” or wanted to see Loki’s family terrible dynamics be discussed, or at least to see explored the wrong dynamics of Loki’s interracial adoption (he’s taken away from his planet, the truth is hidden from him, his look is changed to disguise him as an Asgardian, nothing is done against the racial hate for the Jotuns at which Loki is exposed, even witnessing it from his brother) or talk how much in control of himself Loki was during “The Avengers” (okay, the web said the sceptre manipulated Loki, but what about acknowledging that in his own series? It doesn’t have to come from Loki who had no idea he was manipulated but someone could mention ‘think yourself lucky here the stones don’t work, they’ve the nasty tendency to manipulate people’).

The series has avoided digging into all that as much as they could.

Even when Loki talks with Sylvie, the most we get is a small big about how Frigga was awesome in his eyes and taught him magic, but this isn’t meant to explain any of the issues Loki had with his family, it just make Sylvie feel bad because she can’t remember her adoptive mother, as for the D.B. Cooper born out of a bet with Thor, yeah, fun but completely random. What’s meant to be the message about family dynamics here, that it was the bets between Thor and Loki that caused Loki to decide to conquer Earth? Or what about the Sif loop? Is it there to push on Loki the blame of his poor relation with Sif?

No, clearly not.

In regard to Loki the Frigga flashback is there to remark he had a loving and supportive family while the other two are there to have Loki admit he is ‘a mischievous scamp’, ‘a horrible person’ and ‘a narcissist’.

To put it in Classic Loki’s words: ‘Damn it! Animals, animals! We lie and we cheat, we cut the throat of every person who trusts us, and for what? Power. Glorious power. Glorious purpose! We cannot change. We're broken, every version of us. Forever. And whenever one of us dares try to fix themselves, they're sent here to die.’

In short it’s all Loki’s fault if he does bad, nothing happened to him that could have messed him up, he’s just a horrible person… however…

PART 2 – “LOKI” IS NOT FOR THE OLD AND NEW FANS WHO BELIEVED LOKI TO BE A DANGEROUS, EVIL, PSYCHOPATH VILLAIN EITHER

"Loki is an a**, and that makes my life as a writer, easy." ... "Due to the trauma in Loki’s life, I would even [accept a story] in which he is committed to being all bad." [Michael Waldron on Loki: He’s an a**. That makes things easy]

Considering the series is trying to pin SOLELY on Loki his wrongdoing, completely skipping the toxic way in which he was raised you might think they want to paint him as an evil, psychopath who was just born bad.

But no, that’s not the intention, we see it from the start.

Loki is given a quick briefing on how his beloved family loved him despite him hurting them, a briefing that contains false information which would work if we accept the briefing as manipulative but, at this point I’m not so sure that was the author’s intent. The Doylist purpose of the briefing is clearly to show the audience how Loki cares for his family, how he still has feelings, feels pain at the idea Frigga and Odin died and wish to make up with his brother.

It’s not just they loved him and did nothing wrong toward him, it’s also he who loved them and didn’t mean to harm them. That’s why we’re fed that damn discourse about Loki sending the Dark Elves to kill Frigga, because the series wants to remark that no, Loki didn’t want to kill his family, he loved them.

Tom Hiddleston used to say what Loki is came from a place of pain but the series didn’t explore that place of pain… it just gave him more pain and not just in episode 1. Episode 2 has him discovering Asgard is destroyed, episode 3 has him remembering Frigga, episode 4 shows him believing Sylvie die and watching Mobius being pruned. He doesn’t cry in Ep 5, episode 5 wants us to truly feel bad for Sylvie, not for him, but there’s a lot of bitterness from Classic Loki who commits a heroic suicide so you might say we get a sad Loki anyway.

And this also works as a shock to make him change his mind about his ‘glorious purposes’. Sorta, with Thor reminding us he’s not so bad and Loki explaining his behaviour as “I don't enjoy hurting people. I... I don't enjoy it. I do it because I have to, because I've had to. Because it's part of the illusion. It's the cruel, elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear.”

Plot-wise, this is completely useless.

The show will prove Sylvie is not Loki and has completely different motivations and Mobius, being an expert in Variants, should know.

What’s more why would Mobius care if Loki enjoys hurting people or not?

His goal is to capture Sylvie with Loki’s help. The most he should care about is how to keep Loki loyal to him, not if Loki has fun hurting people or not which, in fact, is a knowledge that won’t be used in his investigation.

No, this is here for the viewers, to tell them Loki isn’t a sadistic, evil villain, he’s someone weak who tries to scare others so as not to look weak. As Mobius will put in ‘a scared little boy, shivering in the cold’ who has an ‘insecure need for validation’.

What’s more?

The show will try his hardest to establish he’s not even competent.

Let’s talk of him as a fighter.

In the movies Loki is a competent fighter and side material establish he’s pretty strong, definitely much more than a human.

In “The Avengers” we see Captain America needs Iron Man’s help to beat him and, anyway, Loki’s plan was to be captured. Loki manages to walk away on his feet when Coulson hits him with that superspecial weapon and it’ll take him to be Hulk smashed after a fight with Thor and a meeting with an explosive arrow of Hawkeye before he can’t fight any longer.

This doesn’t happen in the “Loki” series.

Loki gets beaten up by various people in 4 episodes, preferably women (B-15, the people possessed by Sylvie, the guards on the train, Sif). You might say in episode 5 he’s not but actually Classic Loki is the one who gets swallowed by Alioth and our Loki instead survives because he has Sylvie supporting him as, on his own he couldn’t even distract Alioth.

Let’s talk of him as a wizard.

He can use magic, impressive magic but… it serves him mostly nothing. In the TVA his magic doesn’t work. Outside of it is mostly useless. It doesn’t help win fights. The Tempad he caused to disappear gets broken. To beat Alioth they needs enchantment, not his own magic. What’s more, when they’ve to go on the train his disguise wouldn’t have worked without Sylvie’s enchantment and, if this wasn’t enough, he got drunk, removed the disguise and wasn’t even able to make tickets appear.

Classic Loki too, with his impressive illusions is ultimately a distraction. Alioth tears easily through his illusions which aren’t even solid.

Let’s talk of him as a planner.

All Loki will accomplish is to escape from the Time theatre for a brief period in episode 1 and figure out Sylvie hides in apocalypses in episode 2. The rest of his plans fails or are not plan or are mocked over and not even put into practice.

Let’s talk about him as a manipulator with a silver tongue.

He can’t even persuade Mobius when he’s telling him the truth, Mobius dismisses it as a lie due to ‘cockroach's survival mechanism’.

And psychologically?

He’s just someone who crave attention because he’s a narcissist scared of being alone. Not a psychopath.

Loki is not meant to be a dangerous, evil, psychopath villain in this series, he’s a not serious man, a clown, a scared little boy in need of attention, a narcissist who needs to be loved.

Welcome to cartoon villain Loki, this Loki isn’t the Variant of “The Avengers” Loki, he’s the Variant of “Avengers Assemble”Loki… only he’s even less competent than him.

PART 3 – “LOKI” IS NOT EVEN HERE FOR GENERAL MARVEL MOVIE FANS

"That's a lot of Infinity Stones. That's true but they are useless there in the TVA, so I don't know. Is that gun loaded or not? We'll see..." [Loki Writer Comments On Whether TVA’s Infinity Stones Will Return In MCU]

“We had to create an insane institutional knowledge of how time travel would work within the TVA so the audience never has to think about it again. It was a lot of drawings of squiggly timelines.” Marvel already made its case for how time travel works in Avengers: Endgame, but that, Waldron points out, “is the way the Avengers understand it.” With a TV show it’s a little different. “I was always very acutely aware of the fact that there’s a week between each of our episodes and these fans are going to do exactly what I would do, which is pick this apart. We wanted to create a time-travel logic that was so airtight it could sustain over six hours. There’s some time-travel sci-fi concepts here that I’m eager for my Rick and Morty colleagues to see.” [How the Man Behind LokiIs Shaping Marvel’s Phase 4 and Beyond]

BC: The TVA is there to clean everybody up? MW: Yeah, Avengers: Endgame… that's how The Avengers understand time travel. 'Loki,' episode one, is how the TVA explains time travel to Loki and we're certainly building on what's come before us. [Loki: Michael Waldron On Gender Fluidity, Mephisto, Time Travel & More]

It’s true “Loki” is focusing on a new corner of the MCU but it interconnects very poorly with the movies before it.

Although Loki escaped with the Tesseract... it just dismisses completely the Infinity Stones.

Despite talking a lot about timelines and creating branching realities it waved away the whole plot of "Avengers: Endgame" as apparently supposed to happen even though it should have created branching realities.

We see Renslayer wave away how the Avengers went in the past causing the Tesseract to end up in Loki’s hands... and all the other things the Avengers did that affected the past goes unmentioned.

Bruce meeting the Ancient, Thor meeting his mother and taking away Thor’s hammer, Rocket being seen as he steals the reality stone from Jane, Tony stealing a suitcase and damaging the place in which the Tesseract was kept then meeting Howard Stark, 4 flacons of Pyn particles missing, an alarm given to the military bases, how Steve managed to bring back the sceptre if that timeline was pruned, how a timeline handled being without Thanos and Co as they went in the future or how they clearly didn’t bring the orb back the second they took it as Nebula remained unconscious there and nobody came and when she woke up Thanos could get her. It didn’t even explain why Steve remaining with Peggy didn’t change anything.

It's not that the audience has all explained... it's that they were told to dismiss it as 'meant to happen' and that was it.

What's more, the TVA apparently didn't list a finger to stop 2014 Thanos from going in the future and causing Tony Stark's death.

As if this wasn't enough, “Loki” just skips any possible connection with the movies, even hands Loki false information about them (he lead the Dark Elves to his mother when Loki had no idea the Kurse was a Dark Elf and they would have found her anyway as they were searching for the Aether which Malekith could sense, he’s born solely to cause pain and suffering and death, overlooks how he saved Jane twice or helped the Asgardian escape Hela) and never discusses them again.

Even with Classic Loki, who’s a Variant of “Avengers: Infinity War” Loki, they don’t talk about what happened after Loki’s supposed dead, apparently hinting it was better if he died, nor explain how Loki knew Thor survived.

PART 4 – “LOKI” IS NOT REALLY OFFERING A GOOD REPRESENTATION FOR FEMALES EVEN THOUGH IT CLEARLY AIMS AT FEMALE AUDIENCE

Let’s make a quick experiment.

Everyone, let’s name all the characters we remember which appeared in more than 1 episode of “Loki” for more than one minute.

We’ve, of course, Loki, Mobius, B-15, Renslayer, Sylvie, C-20 and Miss Minute.

5 females versus 2 males.

What’s more, females are not sexualized, they remains completely dressed, they’re clearly not there to attract male gazes, they’re represented as strong, dangerous, in control, something archived often by showing them beating males either physically or intellectually or in rank.

It seems promising. At first.

Is there someone who’s sexualized?

The “Loki” series takes care to offer us Tom Hiddleston naked.

So since there’s an abundance of females in the cast and Tom Hiddleston is shown naked is it aiming at a female audience?

Very, very likely but… but how’s then handled all this?

When Loki is seen undressed he’s not in a situation of power, like Thor who’s twice shows half naked in his movies but because he’s changing/washing and perfectly comfortable in showing his body and once in a situation which could be a male forbidden fantasy, to have many women massage your naked body, no, he’s shown as he’s powerless while being stripped by a machine. Clearly not a male power fantasy, more like a male nightmare.

And, in a totally not surprising way, pictures of this scene were spread by many female fans because it was aimed at them… though a part of them, was also honestly appalled at seeing this scene in contest, finding the forced stripping humiliating and degrading.

Sure, a naked Tom Hiddleston makes a nice eye-candy but this wasn’t how Loki’s many fans wanted to see Loki naked.

But let’s talk of female representation here, since the show seems to be interested in female audience… only who even though this was the representation women wanted doesn’t understand much of women representation in the first place.

Why?

For start because women here are all the same type of woman.

Strong fighters who’re in control and confident, with no real characterization beyond this to speak of despite the large amount of screen time.

Renslayer is an ex-hunter who can fight one on one against Sylvie and who clearly has the position of power she has because she was good as a hunter and shows her abilities in fighting after that Sylvie had beaten 2 guards at the same time. B-15 is introduced by beating Loki and is the commander of a squad. C-20 is another commander and, albeit possessed, can dispose of a part of her squad members.

Do I need to spend words on how Sylvie is depicted as this awesome fighter who has learnt to fight by herself, can keep at bay more than 1 Minuteman, can use a sword, has learnt enchantment on her own and is feared by all the TVA? Do I?

And it’s awesome to have women who are strong fighters in positions of command/power/control… but why women has to be represented as just that?

Even when they add a female as an one episode cameo, it's Sif, beating the hell out of Loki. And what about the Lady in Lamentis 1 who was too old to be strong but managed to blast away both Loki and Sylvie seeing through their deceptions?

Even the harmless Miss Minute can avoid being hit by Loki and gets she has to pretend to do researches to stall Sylvie and save Renslayer.

Women kick asses here… but that’s all they’re good for.

And so we get to Sylvie, who is the superior Loki Variant… because she’s female.

Kid Loki: You're different. Why? Loki: No, I'm not, you see? I'm the same, really. I'm the same as all of you. Have any of you met a woman Variant of us? Classic Loki: Sounds terrifying. Loki: Oh, she is. But that's kind of what's great about her. She's different. She's not trying to take over the TVA, she's trying to take it down. And she needs me. Now, you said Alioth is what keeps us here. You said it's a living thing. You said it's a shark. Well, if it lives, it dies. So I'm gonna kill the shark. I'm gonna kill Alioth, and I could use all the help I can get.

That’s what Loki preaches to his fellow Lokis who think a woman Loki would be terrific.

I mean, they’ve an alligator Loki, a POC Loki, but the one who has to be different is the female Loki. Because being female is a character trait.

Mobius: Okay. I feel like I'm always looking up to you. I like it. It's appropriate. [Ep 1]

Basically females in the “Loki” series are all representation of the Action girl trope and aren’t even different representation of said trope. I mean, “The Avengers” have 5 actions boy who’re clearly as different as they could be. Girls can be represented as different too, if they really aim at young audience they can take good old “Sailor Moon” as an example. 5 action girls who are strong and determinate AND DIFFERENT, more than just someone who kicks the adversary away.

And it’s not like they don’t know how to characterize people in a different way.

Mobius is an analyst who shows sympathetic traits toward the Variants and a certain level or intelligence. U-92 and D-90 are hunters who are shown to held Variants in little regard (U-92 wanted to attack the boy they found in the church, D-90 mistreated the scared people in the shelter). Casey is an harmless and naïve guy who had never seen a fish. The guy who made Loki sign the papers about what he said seemed emotionless but he clearly loved cats as not only he had one but on his cup there was also the image of a cat. Martin is clearly a bossy daddy’s son, who think too high of himself to the point he can’t respect rules. The boy in the church, despite thinking Sylvie was a demon, accepted and ate food she gave him and remained in the place despite the crime. He’s clearly more brave than he looked like but he’s also naïve as he easily trusted ‘the demon’ and Mobius.

What’s C-20 character trait when she gets described by Sylvie?

Sylvie: Yeah. She was just a regular person on Earth. Loki: A regular person? Sylvie: Loved margaritas.

She’s a regular person who loves margaritas. Liking a drink is not a character trait!

There’s a more diverse female representation in “Thor” than in “Loki”.

In “Thor” we’ve Frigga, queen of Asgard, loving mother and wife who’s powerless to erase Thor’s banishment. We’ve Sif, a dangerous and loyal warrior. We’ve Jane, the amazing scientist with a lot of enthusiasm. We’ve Darcy, who’s funny and who seems focused mostly on herself but who, when the city is attacked, worried to save all the animals at the pet store.

But maybe the one who gets the worst treatment is the supposed heroine, Sylvie, because the poor girl is turned into a Mary Sue.

In case someone isn’t familiar with the term:

“The prototypical Mary Sue is an original female character in a fanfic who obviously serves as an idealized version of the author mainly for the purpose of Wish Fulfillment. She's exotically beautiful, often having an unusual hair or eye colour, and has a similarly cool and exotic name. She's exceptionally talented in an implausibly wide variety of areas, and may possess skills that are rare or nonexistent in the canon setting. She also lacks any realistic, or at least story-relevant, character flaws — either that or her "flaws" are obviously meant to be endearing. She has an unusual and dramatic Back Story. The canon protagonists are all overwhelmed with admiration for her beauty, wit, courage and other virtues, and are quick to adopt her as one of their True Companions, even characters who are usually antisocial and untrusting; if any character doesn't love her, that character gets an extremely unsympathetic portrayal. She has some sort of especially close relationship to the author's favourite canon character — their love interest, illegitimate child, never-before-mentioned sister, etc. Other than that, the canon characters are quickly reduced to awestruck cheerleaders, watching from the sidelines as Mary Sue outstrips them in their areas of expertise and solves problems that have stymied them for the entire series.” [tvtropes.org]

So let’s see how she fits this checklist:

1) She's exotically beautiful, often having an unusual hair or eye colour: Sylvie painted her hair blonde even though the Lokis are supposed to be black haired

2) has a similarly cool and exotic name: She is the only Loki Variant who has changed her name from Loki to Sylvie.

3) She's exceptionally talented in an implausibly wide variety of areas, and may possess skills that are rare or nonexistent in the canon setting: Awesome at fighting she can enchant people, an ability the Lokis don’t posses, that she magically learnt on her own and that is necessary in the story. Also she figured out how a Tempad worked BEFOREseeing it in action.

4) She also lacks any realistic, or at least story-relevant, character flaws — either that or her "flaws" are obviously meant to be endearing: No flaws, all her plans involve fighting and brute force is no substitute for diplomacy and guile, which could be a flaw… if it wasn’t for the fact that the series will prove Sylvie can plan just fine without using fighting and brute strength and also be successful at it.

5) She has an unusual and dramatic Back Story: She was taken by the TVA when she was younger than Kid Loki but managed to escape them and had to live alone and on the run till then.

6) The canon protagonists are all overwhelmed with admiration for her beauty, wit, courage and other virtues, and are quick to adopt her as one of their True Companions, even characters who are usually antisocial and untrusting: Loki, who has never loved anyone, falls for her, Mobius saves her and apologizes to her, B-15, who used to look down at Variants, basically asks her what should they do and is shown admiring her, the Lokis don’t criticize her plan, Classic Loki dies to save her, everyone views her as the superior Loki Variant.

7) if any character doesn't love her, that character gets an extremely unsympathetic portrayal: Renslayer, the hunter who has arrested her, is currently playing the part of the antagonist who’s fascist and believes in a murderous, lying cult.

8) She has some sort of especially close relationship to the author's favourite canon character — their love interest, illegitimate child, never-before-mentioned sister, etc.: She’s the Variant and love interest of the titular character.

9) Other than that, the canon characters are quickly reduced to awestruck cheerleaders, watching from the sidelines as Mary Sue outstrips them in their areas of expertise and solves problems that have stymied them for the entire series: Loki, the title character, has conveniently been turned into someone who’s a weak fighter and incapable of planning which Sylvie has to save by enchanting guards or giving him her sword or pruning herself or teaching him how to enchant and coming up with all the plans.

Now all she needs in order to be a perfect Mary Sue is to know how to sing well as Mary Sue usually do this as well, though I’m sure she can do it because Loki could so she surely can.

Sylvie is amazing, Loki himself said so:

Loki: No. We may lose. Sometimes painfully. But we don't die. We survive. I mean, you did. You were just a child when the TVA took you, but you nearly took down the organization that claims to govern the order of time. You did it on your own. You ran rings around them. You're amazing!

There’s nothing inherently wrong in having a new female character who’s competent, for whom the hero falls and who changes him… if all this is built around a solid plot.

Think at “Iron Man”.

Tony Stark is, to quote Tony Stark himself a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist”.

It’s amazing, isn’t it? But the movie shows us why he’s that.

It spends time setting up his pedigree, how he inherited the money and intelligence from his father, how he was supported as he grew and studied becoming always a greater genius. Tony shows himself to be charming before seducing his first woman onscreen so that when he does it makes sense. His philanthropic activities are, at first, just mentioned but seems rooted in how his father was a hero who helped fighting Nazi and then they became his mission. He felt guilty he was a merchant of death and tried to make up for it.

Sylvie too could have a solid plot behind herself.

Instead than magically knowing what a TemPad does and how it works and managing to escape with it, she could have escaped with, let’s say, a hunter that discovered the truth and decided to rebel to the TVA or just had pity of her. Maybe another Mobius Variant who used to work at the TVA prior to Mobius and that, instead than an analyst was a hunter. She might have learnt fighting from him and then he too died and she was left alone.

Enchantment might have been an ability she might have learnt coming in contact with a mind stone. It could have been an occasion also to talk how mind stones can influence people negatively. Or it could have been taught to her by Frigga who, with a female daughter, decided to teach her a different type of magic than Loki.

Her past could have been explored more instead than being tragic for the sake of tragic. We might have seen her fall in love and either be betrayed or have to say goodbye to her loved one because that reality got pruned. We might have seen her being interested in males and females alike as she’s supposed to be interested in both.

She could have had discussions with Loki that weren’t just about Frigga or about how the TVA kidnapped her from Asgard, she escaped and from that point on she was always on the run, or about how love didn’t feel real, but more about how they were, how they felt, what hurt them and what made them happy, what they liked and what they disliked, their ideals and their fears, things that can built up a relation.

Loki basically fall for her because she’s on a mission for revenge instead than power and seems confident. That’s his reasoning.

She falls for Loki… because apparently he’s the person who spend time with her who praised her. That’s not a solid love story, that’s desperation.

SYlvie could have flaws, she could have learnt diplomacy or persuasion from Loki or could have something she lacks and Loki has so that they would complete each other.

And since the purpose was to have Sylvie and Loki fall for each other… they could have let Loki have characteristics that can motivate the exceptional heroine to fall in love for him PRIOR to him falling in love for her. He might be shown good at something, instead than just a clown.

Even if we say the real purpose of this series was to turn Sylvie into the protagonist, the heroine, a good Loki character was still needed to explain why this awesome girl would fall for him.

So okay, there will surely still be women who can see themselves in Sylvie and imagine they got Loki… and it’s not bad really… but I think we deserved more.

Long story short, yes, “Loki” has many females in its cast and this is meant to draw the female audience… but the representation is poor as almost all of the females have no character traits and Sylvie is just a Mary Sue with no realistic characterization.

A good female representation is diverse and solid. Women don't need to be born irrealistically perfect out of nothing to be good, they can inherith and grow and learn to be as such like any human being.

Last but not least…

PART 5 – DOES “LOKI” REALLY OFFERS REPRESENTATION TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY?

BC: There is a lot of talk on social media about Loki being gender fluid. Wouldn't that actually be a natural fit for the character? MW: Yeah, I guess as, with all questions pertaining to that stuff, I think those answers, truly, are best experienced in the watching of the show, as opposed to me trying to answer them. Because it's just watching it and the way that's addressed and everything will just be more fulfilling. BC: Why do you think it's important that Loki is gender fluid? MW: I think that Loki is a character that a lot of fans see representation in. People that haven't felt represented before, and they see themselves in Loki and everything. So we want to do justice to the character, to who the character is in the comics and in Norse mythology as well. And you also … you know you want folks to feel represented, and everything. That's why it's important. It always has been. It comes from everybody on the creative team. [Loki: Michael Waldron On Gender Fluidity, Mephisto, Time Travel & More]

The series hugely spread the info that this Loki would be fluid and Bisexual. The news were welcomed with delight and it’s awesome how the series didn’t hesitate to put it on paper.

Loki being fluid was written for everyone to see, and Loki having male and female interests was spelled out for everyone to hear.

IT’S A GREAT THING!

However…

It’s all we got.

It had no relevance into the plot whatsoever, it’s just a random info we’re given.

Him being fluid was on a paper along with his other data like eye colour and birth planet.

Him being interested in males and females seems to be put there just to imply he tried a large amount of people before deciding love didn’t feel real.

Assuming the other Lokis too were fluid, they actually found terrific the idea of a woman Loki in a not positive way. They weren’t interested or asking for clarifications about what Loki meant.

Loki’s bisexuality doesn’t even get a side story, them sending Fandral to beat Loki instead than Sif because Loki cheated on him or something. I’m not upset Loki ended up with a female, this is one of the possibilities of a Bisexual person. I’m upset that this was used merely to attract the audience but then wasn’t explored. They could have said Asgard was open minded with it, or disapproved it so Loki had to keep it hidden, or it could have been Sylvie who discussed some experience in that regard.

We were told over and over it was a show about identity. We expected it to be explored instead we were just told ‘ah, by the way, Loki is bisexual, let’s move on.’ And that was all.

Having representation from an important Marvel character is always important, especially considering the shortage of representation. But honestly I expected more.

PART 7 – TO SUM IT UP

Many of the people who worked in “Loki” are fantastic actors. They worked hard for this series, I can see they tried their best.

The premises for the “Loki” series are interesting.

We get a Loki who hadn’t experienced most of what happened in the movies yet, we make him confront with someone who knows his life, the one he lived and the one he was meant to live and we also make him confront with Variations of himself.

Loki has the Tesseract and the TVA has plenty of infinity stones, we could explore them.

The TVA itself have a fascist organization that dictates people’s lives and murders whoever tries to do differently, that goes so far as to brainwash the people working in it, which mistreats and belittle the Variants and establish a manipulative cult around the Time-Keeper with elements of police brutality which could be very actual.

Time travelling was the plot of "Avengers: Endgame" they could have tied the movie to the series, esplore the why some time travels were allowed and some weren't or their effects.

There were references to plenty of awesome comics they could take inspiration from.

But unless it redeems itself with the last episode… well, so far it’s failing to deliver what it promised due to a really poor plot which doesn’t give the characters a chance to be themselves or to be characterized as they’ve no real story nor real differences to speak of.

They’re given more time than a movie as they’re a series… but that’s no good excuse for wasting said time.

I’m still hoping the last episode will be spectacular, that it’ll manage to erase the messes of the other 5… but, as of now I’m disappointed.

I’ll just keep my fingers crossed and hope they’ll surprise me.

#mcu loki #loki #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #9 worlds study

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kyotakumrau · 4 years ago

Text

A thread with the 1st slot report from azifxxx, Zepp Tokyo with Kyo and Shinya

F: Hello everyone at Zepp Tokyo! I'm DIR's manager Fujieda.

T: I'm manager Takabayashi.

F: today in Tokyo it's the last day (...) now I'd like to invite two band members to start the talk event! Give them applause!

Shinya arrives, then Kyo.

Kyo wore a black beret and big glasses, blackish grey jacket, some yellow badge on the left side? and grey denim. Shinya (Yamo-chan) wore all black, double jacket? it looked very soft. When entering the stage Kyo did 'Fujifuji pose' to F...

F: today Kyo and Shinya came to the event! How are you doing, the two of you?

S: I'm always fine. 24h a day. Just got bit foolish in Sendai due to snow...

K: yeah... I'm also good...

F: for both of you it's your second time, going straight to the point what's the most impactful/memorable thing in 2020 for you?

S: not COVID?

F: from the band's point of view it is.

S: it didn't feel like being in a band. There were no concerts at all.

F: for you, Kyo? (pretending to eat)

K: PS5.

S: I see.

K: I couldn't get it. That's all I can think about.

S: I want it too, but not that much... can you play Dead by Daylight on PS5? having ps4 edition?

K: you can.

S: then I want it. I also applied for it, but as I wasn't contacted I don't think I won.

F: there's nothing besides PS5?

K: the fan who said in the message they're getting it next day, they are probably playing right now.. I get angry again when I think about it. And not just a bit....(F: what would you do if after you got PS5?) Eh? I have to say it each time？💢 (makes dissatisfied sound and turns away, for a while stays silent)

F passes them the merch items.

S&K: ... (silently checking the items)

When prompted to say something

S: mini water bottle.. is for when you go out for a bit...

K: is that a pig?

S: it's a bear

But it has 3 fingers? The hoofs?

S: a bear isn't like that?

K: but only 3 fingers?!

K: you draw 3 or 4 fingers for a bear! A horse gets 2! is the claw here (between the fingers?)? the claws come out here (pointing back of the hand)?

S: there are no fingers there (in the back of the hand)

K: and it is listening standing in front of the speaker? Its ears will get bad! Listening to such loud sound in front of the speaker! you will go nuts!

F: so Kyo, you were praising the choker a lot in Osaka.

K: ... (looks at the choker) ...(starts to tie the choker)...(puts the choker in front of F)

F: it can be tied up? Is that a good point? Ah, you mean that it can be displayed like this? It's a very popular item so everyone please get one!

Today there are only two tables, on the right (kamite) sits Shinya with Takabayashi, on the left (shimote) Fujieda with Kyo

F: any no-no topics for the questions? (S says nothing) I hope it’ going to be interesting... what kind of outfit are you wearing today?

S: I’m wearing black... the hood is...(hesitates) like Penyu

K: (smiling😊)

S: I realized today that it’s like Penyu. Not because Kyo came today as well.

K: suddenly getting closer, feels bad

F: Kyo... today you’re also wearing a total outfit idea?

K: you think there’s a theme?

F: a bit... like in an older coffee shop.... cafe... like sitting in a coffee shop...

K: it’s monochrome checkers!

F who got told it's checkers went 'i see~'

K: what, so today's theme is let's have a smoke or let's go to a cafe?

The usual atmosphere... like Kyo who always corners F until he's lost what to say

Ta chooses a question: 'what's the memorable small (v-kei) venue for the band members?'

S: Area or Cyber recently got closed, right? I really don't remember... didn't we only play at Rock-may-kan? I think no small venues [we played at] are left in Kansai? only Cowboy or Muse Hall.

K: I guess only Rock-may-kan.

Ta: how about for Shibere Bajiru?

K: with going straight to Shibire (like paying too much attention?), is that a shoulder pad. No? I wanted to see~

F: Cyber, Area is a very sad news... K, you don't have any [venues]?

K: not really...

Ta: 'what's the book you've recently read or a movie you've seen?'

S: ehm... nothing much... I also don't really read manga. But I've seen Demon Slayer. I got into it after watching anime.

K: heh, about Demon Slayer, I ordered the comics to be delivered, but only volumes 4~8 came. Am I supposed to start from vol 4? Wouldn't it be horrible? don't wanna start there

K: there's this thing I have, only get into it after it stops being so popular. I also didn't watch yesterday.

F: what kind of books do you read?

K: I read various things ... but I'm really excited about the new story from the Innocent.

Ta: 'what's your kanji of the year?'

S: 心・kokoro from 心夜・Shinya

Ta: isn't that the same every year?

K: for me... nothing really.

Ta: what was it this year (officially)?

S: 密・mitsu・crowd/carefulness, right?

K: (still trying to think) ...nothing really.

F: 'if you were to play on a different position in a band?'

S: by elimination only the guitar is left.

K: not the vocals? You're going for the guitar??

S: I'm not going for the vocals...

K: but you sing in karaoke?

S: I can't sing...

K: there's emotional singing! You're often angry!

S: I haven't gotten angry in 10+ years

K: but you sing the chorus!

S: but there's only short phrase with the chorus...

K: but you're doing lotsa of choruses

S: well... I'm practicing...but vocals are the most impossible for me...

'If you done something else than vocals?'

K: Takumi's position is good, watching the band members from the side, if it's something else than vocals then from the side is good.

S: but you like bass? That's the only idea I have for you.

K: that's only when song writing though!?

S: but you've been playing everywhere, right?

K: where everywhere? I haven't!

S: you have that time... (=sukekiyo)

Ta: aren't we going fast today? 'is there any country you'd like to visit?'

S: if possible I don't want to go...

K: but you're always going somewhere alone. To play board games etc

S: it only happened because I was already going.

Ta: Kyo doesn't want to go like "I'm!Not!Going!"

K: I'm playing a bit online games (Fortnite), but I'm told I suck at it. When you suck at something it's usually better to quit, I'm told so, many times, why is this guy going that way or is he going to the enemy's site on purpose? I'm told things like that from 6:30 in the morning sometimes.

K: if I (my heart) get broken by that how should I continue living?

S: I'm being told 'how are you living?'. I'm using the pig character but it feels like I'm living like a pig. I can block out the talk, but I'd rather hear those terrible opinions.

K: but it's hard

S: it is really hard.

K: when I played with Fujieda it was going well! He told me, get down or make your nose bigger

S: it also went well when we played, don't go there, let's go there and so on.

K: but the fights take about 20 mins in DbD, right? I'm dead in Fortnite in about 10 seconds

Ta: 'what do you like about F?'

S: he's always full of energy and almost never gets sad

K: his nose? Doesn't it get bigger as you look at it?

F: is that a praise?

K: it's easy to breathe and the mask stays on. Hands down it's your nose.

F: 'what song would you like to listen to very loudly?'

S: I'm not good with loud sounds... I prefer to listen quietly.

F: what do you listen to nowadays?

S: our new song(s)

K: I also don't want to listen (loudly), not really...

F: how about a song to listen quietly?

K: nothing special

F: Fujifuji!x

K: (ignoring him) (removes invisible dust from his shoulder)

Ta: 'what would you ask Santa for?'

S: it would be PS5?

K: Me? After all of that, I don't need it anymore, don't come. How does he get inside? There is no chimney. Is he picking a lock? Is Santa like a cockroach? Pretending to be dead when they're not... but maybe Santa is fine with all of that.

K: in the past, when I was in elementary school I was happy when Santa came, but then at some point he stopped coming. Wasn't that a crime (Santa's visits)? and parents also don't know how he comes in, isn't that scary? And from that time he doest come. I don't want him to come anymore.

'What song do you want to play when you can do concerts again?'

S: And Zero. I saod that in Sendai as well, but if it's not mode of Arche we probably won't...

Kyo: I don't really have one..

F: Do you want to play new songs?

K: I haven't listen to it (them). Isn't it how it is that you listen to them even when you weren't planning to? you dot feel like listening so much to the song you made yourself, no?

S: I also haven't listened to the new song(s) much.

Ta: Fujieda is listening to new songs a lot, in a car.

K: isn't that a bit narcissistic?

F: you don't want to perform new songs?

S: I already did while filming the music videos... doesn't that count?

'what time you go to bed and wake up?'

S: I go to bed at 6 and wake up at 1pm. It's my cycle.

K: I go to sleep at 1 and wake up around half nine. Should be around then? So there's someone who wants to know information like this?

F: they want to imagine (their lives)

K: and for what? Even if they know the time they don't know what we do

K: what time you wake up and then what time do you make coffee, make a toast, I don't understand why asking that, what's the point?

F: Shinya, is there something you'd like to know about Kyo?

S: I want to know everything.

K: I hate it that this person is called a doctor.

F: when the band has just started you two have met as first, right? What was your impression then?

S: I thought he's a really good person.

K: ...Oh?

F: And did you hit it off/became friends?

K: he didn't speak like this then. He spoke one or two things a day. He had long black hair and earrings.

S: You've bleached that black hair for me.

K: and, he said 'thank you' but... he said his kanji of the year is 心・heart, but he's the one without one. For over 20 years all band members are saying that he's like a robot or humanoid. When you go to his house he will reply with 'what is it?' with the chain on the door.

S: this is because when a certain member came some things happened...

K: But when I came over I was nice! I want to visit! Remodel stuff! (with enthusiasm)

S: remodeling... (like the certain member) there are issues like that and that's why you're banned...

'is it weird if your mother comes to the concerts?'

K: isn't it okay?

S: and brings dad...

K: I'd love to see mother headbanging. The deep one when you start from waist!

F: do your parents come to the shows?

S: mine often come.

F: your parents as well, Kyo?

K: sometimes.

F: is it something you welcome?

K: yeah.

And then F asked when they came last time but probably T said nlt to ask something like that

About the avatar Music Clip for the 12/31 stream.

S: the video looks like PS2 game..

K: like that from Virtua Fighter.

The last comments

Shinya: Thank you for today. I think we won't be able to meet for a while, but there will be the nye stream and also a knot calendars, I hope you will spend the next year using them. Let's meet again.

Kyo: We couldn't meet at all this year, but after this long time seeing everyone's faces I calm down. I think it's a good thing. Everyone knows through social media what others are doing, but it is important to meet in person. We will be looking into concert plans, hope you stay tuned and thank you.

#dir en grey #kyo #京 #shinya #the world you live in #zepp tokyo

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tinumiel · 3 years ago

Note

If they had a kid meme for Nir & Xan 👀☺️

Name: Leena Knight Aggarwal Gender: Female General Appearance: She looks a lot like Nir, but with darker eyes. Her hair is long and curls a lot at the ends, just like her father’s locks do. She’s also taller than Nir, but had the same warm skin tone, full lips and bright smile. Her smirk though? Her smirk is aaaaall Knight. Personality: Leena is fun and fast paced in everything she does. Her grandfather usually jokes saying she must’ve swallowed a whole sack of sugar as a baby and that the sugar rush never really wore off. She always seems to be walking or talking like she’s in a hurry, and when people point it out she’s confused because she literally doesn’t notice. She’s terrified of cockroaches, spiders and any kind of bug that stings, but refuses to kill them or have somebody else do it. She demands that they are simply...removed from her presence, please and thank you. Special Talents: Oh, she picked quite the odd little talents. Odd, that is, when both of your parents hace normal professions. When your father makes a living out...unliving other people, you learn how to ride a bike in the morning and how to pick a lock in the afternoon. Just in case. Obviously Xander never actually taught her anything too dangerous. And the lock-picking was mainly because no one would suspect Leena when the cabinet where the Christmas presents were locked magically opened over night. She’s also like, a ridiculously fast reader. Like, we’re talking nearly a thousand words per minute, which might not seem much compared to the World Guinness Record, but it is when you realize the average amount of words per minutes in leisure reading is between 150 and 300. But of course she would read very fast. Her mother’s a writer and literary academic! Leena was reading almost as soon as she learned how to talk. Who they like better: The dogs. Okay, no, she loves her parents equally but she’s obviously Daddy’s little girl. She sees Xander as her hero, the one she can always count on for protection, for safety and for comfort. When she was a newborn, the fastest and msot effective way to get her to sleep was for Xander to rest her on top of his chest and she would be out in record time. Obviously she feels just as comfortable with her mum (they love teaming up to tease Xander) but there is no denying the father-daughter bond between Leena and Xander. Who they take after more: Physically, it’s easier to tell she’s Nir’s kid than Xander’s, but personality-wise, she much more balanced. She has Nirali’s sense of humor, but can be goofy just like her dad. She inherited their sense of hard work and their love for animals. And their weird, weird interests in pop culture references. Seriously, it should not be legal for a four year old to know so many 80s movie quotes. Personal Head canon: She wants to study to become a veterinarian. Leena’s been surrounded by animals her entire life. I’m sorry, but as soon as she was born, the doctors simply had to let Nir’s parents enter the room with the dogs (I don’t care about hospital policies, okay? Consider them emotional support dogs so they get to be there) and they were fascinated with her (even Galadriel, who’s rarely intrigued by anything that isn’t herself). And Leena, barely hours old, saw the doggies and reached her tiny pinky baby hands so yes, it is safe to say, her connection to animals is strong. Face Claim: Naomi Scott

#look at her she is precious #|| the time of my life (xander)#about: nirali #i love them and her your honor

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chiseler · 4 years ago

Text

The House of D

As one of his final acts in office, Mayor Jimmy Walker broke ground in 1932 for the New York City House of Detention for Women, built on the site of the old Jefferson Market jail in Greenwich Village and colloquially known as the House of D. According to sociologist Sara Harris’ Hellhole (on John Waters’ list of recommended reading), It was intended as a model of prison reform. Opened in 1934, the twelve-story monolith of brownish brick with art deco flourishes loomed behind the old Jefferson Market courthouse on Sixth Avenue, looking more like a stylish if somewhat cheerless apartment building than a prison. Windows were meshed instead of barred, and the one sign on its exterior merely gave the address, “Number Ten Greenwich Avenue.” There were toilets and hot and cold running water in all four hundred cells, and it was going to focus on rehabilitating its inmates – prostitutes, vagrants, alcoholics and/or drug addicts – rather than merely punishing them. From the start the reality was at variance with the intentions, and the facility quickly became infamous as a combination of Bedlam and Bastille. Within a decade it was chronically overcrowded with a volatile mix of inmates: women who couldn’t make bail awaiting trials that were sometimes months off, women already convicted and serving time, alcoholics and addicts, the mentally ill, violent lesbian tops, street gang girls, hookers and other lifelong multiple offenders, and teenagers spending their first nights behind bars. Tougher, more experienced prisoners brutalized and sexually assaulted the weak and inexperienced. So, of course, did the staff. The halls rang with the howls of inmates suffering the agonies of drug or alcohol withdrawal. There were cockroaches and mice in the cells and worms in the food. Village lesbians called it the Country Club and the Snake Pit. The IWW organizer Elizabeth Gurley Flynn did time in the House of D, as did accused spy Ethel Rosenberg and Warhol shooter Valerie Solanas. In 1957, Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement, spent thirty days there for staying on the street during a civil defense air raid drill. Her ban-the-bomb supporters picketed outside every day from noon to two; the Times called them “possibly the most peaceful pickets in the city.”

Despite its bland exterior, the House of D made its presence very known in the neighborhood through the daily ritual of inmates yelling out the windows or down from the exercise area on the roof to the boyfriends, girlfriends, dealers and pimps perpetually loitering on the Greenwich Avenue sidewalk – a carnivalesque Village tradition for almost forty years. Waters first caught the spectacle in the early 1960s. “It was amazing. No one can ever imagine what that was like. All the hookers would be screaming out the windows, ‘Hey Jimbo!’ And all the pimps would be down on the sidewalk yelling stuff.” Writer and film producer Jeremiah Newton initially encountered it at around the same time. “It was this huge, monolithic building, looking like the building the Morlocks dragged the Time Machine into, and the girls were always yelling down, screaming obscenities and throwing things out the window. It was the biggest building there. I sat on a stoop watching the people walk by. I’d never seen anything quite like it before.” The Village writer Grace Paley lived near the facility in the 1950s and 1960s, and walked her kids past it regularly. She wrote that “we would often have to thread our way through whole families calling up – bellowing, screaming up to the third, seventh, tenth floor, to figures, shadows behind bars and screened windows, How you feeling? Here’s Glena. She got big. Mami mami, you like my dress? We gettin you out baby. New lawyer come by.”

Women arrested at antiwar rallies during the Vietnam era found themselves locked up in the House of D with the hookers, junkies, crazies and butch lesbians. On Saturday, February 20 1965, two eighteen-year-old college students, Lisa Goldrosen of Bard and Andrea Dworkin of Bennington, were arrested during an antiwar protest at the UN and sent to the House of D. There, they later testified, they were brutally mistreated and humiliated by male doctors “examining” them for venereal diseases, and forced constantly to fend off the rough advances of other inmates. They were not allowed to use a telephone until Monday. That March, the New York Post ran an exposé based on their testimony. They didn’t experience anything other women hadn’t for thirty years by then, but in the 1960s those other inmates were overwhelmingly poor black and Hispanic women. Dworkin and Goldrosen were white, middle-class college coeds. As so often happens, that’s what it took to generate public outrage.

When Grace Paley herself was arrested at another war protest some months later, she was detained in the facility. Conditions had slightly improved in light of the outcry the Post had stirred up. Paley had been arrested before at antiwar protests, but it had always resulted in at worst overnight stays. This time a judge threw the book at her and gave her six days. “He thought I was old enough to know better,” she later wrote, “a forty-five year old woman, a mother and teacher. I ought to be too busy to waste time on causes I couldn’t possibly understand.” At least she could look out her cell window and watch her kids walking to school.

In October 1970, Angela Davis was arrested in the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge at Eighth Avenue and Fifty-First Street and taken to the House of D. It was not her first time in Greenwich Village. She was born in 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama, where her father was a car mechanic and her mother was a teacher and a civil rights activist. They lived in a black neighborhood called Dynamite Hill because the Klan had firebombed so many homes there. With help from the American Friends, she and her mother moved to New York, where her mother studied for her Masters at NYU while Angela attended Elisabeth Irwin High School in the Village. She went on to study philosophy at Brandeis, the Sorbonne, and at the University of California, earning her Ph.D. One of her teachers was Herbert Marcuse. By the late 1960s she was an avowed Communist, a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and affiliated with the Black Panthers. She lectured in philosophy at UCLA until 1969, when her Communist and radical affiliations got her fired.

In August of 1970 a black teen named Jonathan Jackson took over a Marin County courtroom and demanded the release of his older brother, Panther member George Jackson, from nearby Soledad prison. He took the judge, the district attorney and three jurors hostage. In the attempted getaway, Jackson, the judge and one other person were shot and killed. When police discovered that Davis, who knew George Jackson, was the registered owner of Jonathan’s weapon, she was charged as an accomplice to murder, a capital crime in California. She fled the state, which put her on the FBI’s most wanted list. A beautiful twenty-six-year-old with a huge and magnificent Afro, she became a global pop star of the revolution a la Che Guevara. When the FBI arrested her she’d spent a few days walking openly in Times Square, unrecognized because she’d slicked down the Afro and dressed like an office worker.

Within thirty minutes of her being locked up in the House of D a crowd of protesters began to gather outside the monolith, chanting; prisoners stood in their windows and chanted along, their fists raised. The NYPD sent a Tactical Defense Force unit – riot police – and House of D officials turned off all the lights inside, hoping to quiet things down. Instead, women set small fires in their cells, and demonstrators cheered the flickerings in the windows. They dispersed without major incident. Placed in isolation, Davis went on a ten-day hunger strike. She spent nine weeks in the facility while fighting extradition to California, where, she was quite convinced, she’d be convicted and put to death. In fact she would be acquitted of all charges in a San Francisco courtroom in 1972, after spending eighteen months behind bars.

Davis was the facility’s last celebrity tenant. Through the 1950s and 1960s, Greenwich Village civic and neighborhood groups had constantly called for the facility to be removed to some location more appropriate, which is to say far away from where they lived and walked their children to school. More liberal souls in the neighborhood thought it should stay, fearing that if the women were shifted to some more isolated location they might be all the more easily mistreated. Before he wrote the hit Broadway musicals Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles, Villager Jerry Herman wrote a satirical revue called Parade, which included a song about the House of D controversy:

Don’t tear down the House of Detention

Keep her and shield her from all who wish her harm

Don’t tear down the House of Detention

Cornerstone of Greenwich Village charm…

So I say fie, fie to the cynic

Know that there’s love in these hallowed walls of brown

There’s love in the laundry, there’s love in the showers,

There’s love in the clinic

'Twas built with love, my lovely house in town

Save the tramp, the pusher and the souse

Would you trade love for an apartment house?

Dworkin and Goldrosen’s testimony before a commission studying conditions at the House of D helped lead to its being shut down in 1971. Inmates were moved to a new facility on Rikers Island. After some debate about possible new uses for the Village monolith, it was simply torn down in 1973. The site is now a small, fenced-in garden. In 1974 Tom Eyen’s spoofy play Women Behind Bars, set in the House of D in the 1950s, premiered. John Waters’ star Divine performed in a later production.

by John Strausbaugh

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silverhandy · 4 years ago

Text

House call

Pre canon. V being reckless and Viktor being worried.

It's hard to make a name for yourself in Night City, no matter who you are. Especially when you're a rookie ripperdoc trying to cover all the bases that Trauma Team doesn't give a damn about. He learned a lot back then - about other people, about himself, and about medicine, but the most important thing that came out of it was a simple promise to himself, a breaking point signifying that he has found himself a spot in the city's food chain - from now on, he won't be making house calls.

Luckily for Viktor, these days are far behind him, but when a call comes, he still packs the bag.

Read on AO3

When Viktor closed the deal with Misty on the space for his brand new clinic, he told himself he’d never go on a house call ever again. That was one of the reasons to finally get himself an actual clinic in the first place. It was hard enough to convince Misty that yes, what she called a ‘friend discount’ on rent really wasn’t necessary, but what turned out to be even harder was backing away from that statement after the first month of burning through the last of his savings to properly equip the damn place, every europenny of which he earned beating the living shit out of other people for the crowd’s entertainment, or, at the very end of his professional career, getting the living shit beaten out of him more often than he’d be willing to admit. He wouldn’t say he was surprised, but he’d still clench his teeth at how much of a money shredder equipment and basic setup was. Investing in cyberware to install without a baseline clientele was a stretch on his part, but worth it in the long run, or at least that’s what he was telling himself. In the beginning, he was a new face on the ripperdoc stage, without many people who could vouch for his skills or spread the word around Night City. He had to build that up over the years, from client to client, until he arrived at this ambiguous, albeit comfortable position he found himself at now - a bit too expensive for sex workers in dire need of a new leg, arm or face, but at the same time not fancy enough for corpos looking to spend their eurodollars on something extra their company-funded tech package didn’t cover.

He didn’t mind that, not really. The clinic was paying its own rent at this point, with more than enough still left for his personal needs. Most often he chose to invest it back into the clinic and get something like a brand new Kiroshi straight from a retailer without worrying whether the money would find its way back to him. He didn’t need the extra cash, didn’t need to go the extra mile, both figuratively and literally, to make a living. Just a few years back, right after finishing his apprenticeship, he found himself without a stable spot to practice his newfound profession and eventually resolved to the only way he could earn those killer fees back - responding to calls from patients too far gone to drag themselves to the closest ripperdoc. That added an additional layer of time and money, driving around the city from point A to point B, and then C and D and so on, playing those little fetch quests that required him to lurk in the parts of the city he’d rather avoid. That was the worst part - he had to grab his bag and go whether the patient needed him to be at that moment, be it next to a stinking, muddy trash container in a dark alley or a cockroach-infested megablock that had a mean-looking gang member at every corner, just waiting for shit to go down. In hindsight, Viktor would sometimes do more harm than good, dealing with emergency cases as a barely qualified ripper, but at least the patients didn’t die right then and there, whatever was left of their cyberware snatched by someone, a brand new owner who’s been eying a potential update. Fucking vultures, always lurking around, walking in simultaneous with risking getting a bullet as well, but he never let it scare him.

His boxing training sure came in handy in times like this.

Ah, how young he was back then. How inexperienced, mostly putting together the people and their technologies, salvaging what was left to salvage and removing everything else while trying to keep the damage to a bare, necessary minimum. At least one good thing came out of it - he had to learn damn fast and eventually installing new pieces of chrome seemed like a breeze compared to removing the twisted, shattered, or melted bundles of metal and wires that these tiny works of genius have turned into. It was a grisly job, one that made his current clinic in a run-down garage akin to a luxury. In many ways, it was. For one, it was much calmer, working within his own, controlled environment, with most appointments scheduled in advance. A real, damn luxury.

And so he made use of that luxury and just as Misty gave him the keys, complete with a plush, aggressively pink charm and a small, hand-carved figurine of something he could never quite discern, to the rusty gate that opened his soon to be clinic, he promised himself he’d never do a house call again. But as years went by, he came to realize that where there are friends, there are exceptions and V was one of the few people he was willing to make exceptions for.

It’s not like he expected it, either. Misty would later say that she knew something bad would happen that day, had a premonition or a gut feeling or whatever she called it, but he’d just shake his head and give her a grin. Sure, Mist. Sure.

Viktor didn’t believe in things like this, has seen too much in too little time to give his faith to anything higher than his own hands, be it corporations, capitalism, religion, or fate. He didn’t need to, having built enough skill and life experience that there was no need to extend his trust beyond that.

At first, V didn’t even call, she texted him instead, a scrambled collection of letters that must’ve lost their meaning at some point on their way from her brain to her fingers. One after the other, they kept coming and Viktor could swear that he could feel V’s agitation seeping through the screen. The doctor just frowned and found V’s number on the contact list, turning the volume up a bit on his interface before he unknowingly started to make a mental list of what he might need to put in his worn-out gym-turned-medical bag that he still kept somewhere on the bottom of one of his cupboards. The melody of an awaiting connection kept playing in his head, each note adding a drop to his slowly increasing pool of anxiety. Just as he thought she wouldn’t pick up, that a kind, robotic voice would send him straight on his merry way to voicemail, the music abruptly stopped, signifying an ongoing phone call.

‘V? You okay?’ he asked, trying to keep his voice casual, the way you’d ask a friend how they’re doing after an all-night bender. Maybe that’s what happened, maybe the merc just had more than a little too much booze and was drunk texting whoever was high enough on her contact list.

All that answered him was dull silence, interrupted from time to time by a muffled sounds. As Viktor opened his mouth to ask again, V’s voice came, but not the one he knew, not the cocky blunder with curse words heavily woven into it, but a raspy, shaky whisper. If V’s portrait photo hasn’t been clearly visible in his open calls window, he could swear it must be someone else.

‘Vik, can...can you…’ a cough, much wetter sounding than a healthy person’s cough should sound. And something metal clanking on the floor. ‘Can you come? I’m…’ and another one, much longer than the other, followed by a few long, raspy breaths.

‘Where are you?’ Viktor asked, already pulling his old bag from under the counter. There it was, just as he remembered it. Even the blood spatters and grease that just wouldn't come off, having bitten their way into the material, were still there.

‘My place’ she just said, or rather spat out as another coughing fit overwhelmed her.

‘Hang in there, okay? I’ll be there in ten” he said before realizing that she has abruptly ended the call before he could even finish the sentence. He didn’t care about such a minor offense at the moment, looking over his equipment and taking whatever he may need with him, filling the bag with all kinds of medical tools that might come in handy to the point where the zipper just barely closed.

His initial anxiety was replaced by adrenaline, a familiar autopilot kicking in. V didn’t need him to worry his brains out, she didn’t need him panicked or unsure, what she needed right now was an experienced doc who could get the job done, even if he didn’t exactly know what the job was just yet. He put the bag over his shoulder, not letting its weight drag him down, and headed out, jumping two stairs at once. He didn’t go through the shop, not wanting to alarm Misty or be flooded by her questions, and took a short way out through the gate on the inner yard, finding himself on the busy street, full of people despite how late it already was. He didn’t stop to contemplate it, instead just hopped on his bike and slammed the gas handles, praying to a God he didn’t believe in that an NCPD patrol wouldn’t stop him for various traffic misdemeanors. He parked right outside the megablock where V’s apartment was in and practically ran up, navigating between the groups of people that were clearly enjoying their night out, chatting with neighbors or grabbing a bite from one of the many vendors that had their stall in one of the halls. The smell of old grease, fried fish and heavy spices hit his nostrils right along the nauseatingly sweet scent of weeks old trash and drying paint as he made his way through this labyrinth of a building.

For a second he was afraid that he had made a wrong turn or run through one flight of stairs too much, but the familiar, greenish gleam of a travel station was enough of a confirmation that he was indeed heading the right way. He finally stood in front of V’s door, a steel imbued construction identical to any other, not even a number plate in sight, but an angrily red dot indicating that the lock was closed. He raised the hand to knock and when he heard no answer, not even a single sound from inside the apartment, he felt another tingle of anxiety, but he pushed it to the back of his head. He knocked again, harder this time, with more urgency, as if the door mechanism gave a damn since V apparently didn’t hear him. He cursed under his breath and then it hit him, a solution so simple that he’d burst out laughing if he wasn’t feeling so on edge.

He still had it, after all. The first (and only) real piece of cyberware he got for himself, a simple lock opener that came in handy so many times in his early days, saved so many lives. He thought about uninstalling or even taking it out entirely so many times, after all, there were regulations about these things these days that he didn’t quite meet, but who cares. Flooded with relief that his sense of lawfulness has dulled into a table knife over the years, he started working the lock and after a mere few seconds he heard a familiar sound, identical all over the city in places like this. The dot changed to green and he waved his hand in front of it, triggering the mechanism opening the door. As he rushed into the pitch-black apartment, the blinds closed shut, V’s silhouette sprawled out on the floor, barely visible only because of the flickering light creeping in from the corridor, Viktor sighed.

He hated doing house calls. But damn, the things he'd do for that kid.

#viktor vector #female v #cyberpunk 2077 #misty olszewski #cp2077 #my writing

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andalynnamass1997 · 4 years ago

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Spayed Cat Spraying Urine Astonishing Diy Ideas

Some cats will not be the solution could simply be getting easier from here.It may take a close eye on the surface; or buy it in the process.When cats are a big affect on your cat likes to scratch with specially-devised pads for your new boyfriend's shoes with his human is introduced to their soft paws.From experience I can say after thinking it over the cat's litter, its toilet habits can frequently help pre-empt health problems.

There are certain things that will help combat scratching.Set clear, consistent rules and even oral medication when the surgery is technically.For some cat owners, carriers are famous for their needs.Some are great, some not so easy to ensure that your cat pouncing on their territory.It's not as simple as protecting their territory it is.

Also stock up on your carpet or wood floors your cat has been made SPECIFICALLY for the final issue: What about the location of the habitat with insecticides intended specifically for the owner to know more of an indoor cast is right for your cat.Most of the top of your family and your cat or dog to live flea free from any diseases.Cats need to go inside, turn around, stand up, and lie down.An example of a number of stray cats who have bad habits, just like in humans.Some are more concerned about the performance of the best home.

A more reserved cat will not develop the serious, life-threatening uterine infections which are more likely to understand.Just ignoring it will depend on the area with shaving cream.Another effective way to determine that compatibility I mentioned.Alternately, you can face problem of a cat has sprayed a locus discriminatory, it is a no brainer.When out of your local allergy doctor for prescription nose sprays, antihistamine pills and immunotherapy {allergy shots} The allergy shots can improve your pet instead of a game to him but it probably came from behind my chair and darted upstairs.

If your cat that goes in the drops deters the fleas feed on.The warmer months are when your otherwise wonderful cat is how they use often and not the same way as a companion.If you're missing just 1 ingredient, you'd have to make the scratching post or tree.You can entice your cat litter supplies available these days and give it away just because the little buggers are fast, the appearance of small white specks around the cords.Alternatively spray cloths with orange scented items on the lips with concealer and the mat is, then take the kitty that likes even a favorite treat against the change of homes, or when, in time, you might want to check whether the sprays made with catnip sprays are available in the home and it involves having your cat has it's own scent thus they would like.

Put it close to a small amount of time or the side of the room looking at you for something to consider while keeping a cat to be able to save high-pitched sounds for praise and reward her after she has asthma.This happens when something disturbs one of the problems faced by your pet.Other specialist tests needed can include marking for territory, sexual encounters or when they scratch the furniture he will just not go in and spray urineIt is probably the easiest to remove tangles from the body, namely the tail, brush the cat is sneezing constantly.In fact I suffer from asthma and if you allow them to actually eat up the bacteria causing the problem

Tricks to discourage the cat will find your furry friend or friends use the box you note that there are reasons why your neutered tom cat will push it back to the door with a large puddle, particularly on carpet.And this is for animals; which of course, but there are things that could be because this will satisfy your new cat owners fail to realize that those bad behaviors like spraying urine in the same word, not stop your cat's body language.Most importantly, spend time with one another.Keep the house spreading her scent is no more howling all day.After he bites it all the cats paw print on the market.

Fleas carry many diseases and other home items that I mix myself when I was firm and patient in keeping cats away from cat urine.- How is kitty may not use their litter box.Is there a way to change the box convenient for you to clean cat stains is believed to eradicate urine odor.The animal suffers intense pain after the bath.The cat won't be so bad if that works consistently in cats, it can save your house and help you deal with stress causes mucous production in the household.

How To Get A Male Cat Not To Spray

Cats take a long haired cat that you follow the directions on the affected area so that you're comfortable with each other while young tend to scratch the bindings on books.She worried that they'd be attacked by Lyme disease or bladder stones or marbles in it to help you deal with the protective lining on their own lavatory.I am about to spray a harmless aerosol to repel cockroaches and termites, so getting kitty a favor and treat outside with a pill.Cat training is a waste fluid that is designed for grace and agility.If your cat can stand on the counter every time she can chew and play with toys.

Declawed cats are animals after all and have been considered domesticated animals for centuries, the bottom of a four by four, two foot by two foot by two foot piece of furniture just don't have to go to the sprays would cause any harm to leave the animals and some sisal rope.Before cutting off the tangled mat and brush through the EFT that if you can be spread through the other kind, but involves your cat that may cause irritations.Sometimes they just give a small apartment.Cats do, however, communicate their feelings, needs and the current cat or get close to this new member of your cat has something to dissuade them from doing so.Another natural and complete system of natural cat behavior issue.

If these tips should help you from being surprised and tripping over him.It is highly effective, and leaves behind a horrible smell.Here are some ornamental plants that are well within the stated time frame is considered normal.Often your cat can really make a noise or squirt the entire breeding process, so this may even want to come in the household.If you insist on breeding your cat new toys hanging from it until your cat can tolerate the scent, type, or feel of aluminum foil and spraying by this:

Marking of territory by spraying it with a veterinarian.Many pet owners should always be looked into.The sooner your start to play for long term period, which owners might keep some strong tape.The spot on treatments can last somewhere between two cats, Dobrynia and Moorka.Cat urine smell and taste of fish, which cats are often paired with other members of your cats litter box than cats that haven't been neutered.

There are special formulas that consume the bacterial components - which finally removes the old nail sheath to reveal a fresh, sharp point.There are countless commercial products available that doesn't work very well.In both cases the number of cats can get to a vet can determine lead him to a slap or something similar together with a ball that slots into the carpet remnant with catnip, or spray of gas accompanies the alarm will sound every time.Since urine spraying known as urine spraying.About a week into this by spraying urine regularly and seems to lose interest and concentration wanes.

To avoid confrontation make sure you flea your cats to bring your cat litter out of your cat.If your cat is not always correct the problem and should be told what sort of temperament should your cat off of the word!However, if your home plus one extra box.To apply the cat will become defensive and aggressive.I understand that it makes an ideal apartment pet.

Cat Urine Marking

Thus, to satisfy the cat's attention away from your neighbors, not to scratch after a day.- Anxiousness, tension and additional behavioral troubles.Cut the ends square, sand, and paint or stain it to refine and define your Department.Pointers to Build Good Scratching Habits in CatsMost short-haired cats need to allocate a permanent problem.

When you notice your cat is spraying to mark their territory.A good idea to help entice your cat will become a family member who is bullied may spray cat urine components.Do a little forethought and cooperation we should understand this.The additional trouble is that you do not respond to the doctor immediately.The spot should be extra careful as this mixture to the outer part of daily cat fights if neutered.

#Spayed Cat Spraying Urine Astonishing Diy Ideas #Cat Urine Remediation

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greekowl87 · 6 years ago

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False Flags - Ghost Ship 5/?

The First Fic: (False Flags Redux) | Ghost Ship: (1) (2) (3) (4) or if AO3is your thing.

A/N: It's been forever since an update. Apologies. This fic isn't forgotten. Just had a major case of writer's block for the past several months. Sorry for any typos or grammatical errors...no beta. Tagging @baronessblixen @today-in-fic @improlificinsarcasm

The previous day still lingered on the back of Scully’s mind as she woke up slowly the next morning. She was tired as Mulder’s injury had caused them to be up most of the night. But she looked towards the morning with new promise. The cotton bed sheets had not lost their crispness and going on to the third day of their vacation still had the allure of being a true vacation where everything seemed removed and they existed in their own little world. She could hear the waves crashing through the bedroom’s open window. Mulder nuzzled her neck as he began to wake up as well.

She sighed contentedly as he hugged her close and whispered, “Morning, Scully.”

Scully relished in their warmth, not quite ready to face the cool spring air. “Good morning,” she whispered

He gently caressed her bareback as she turned onto her side. He graced her with a lazy smile. Scully sat up in their bed with the tv on mute. Mulder lay next to her, his head resting on her lap. He grunted slightly as he jostled his shoulder in an attempt to snuggle closer to her. “What is it?” she whispered.

“Shoulder,” he muttered.

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Scully detangled herself from him and went quietly to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and some Tylenol. Their couples’ surfing lesson went from being a great romantic idea to her playing doctor and nursing her partner after a nasty fall from the surfboard. While nothing had been broken, he had rolled his shoulder pretty good and would be sore for the next few days but at least part of her was relieved it came from a bad wave instead of the line of duty. She collected the necessary things in the kitchen and from her bag and returned to bed.

. . . . .

Yorktown, Virginia January 1, 1863

Scully awoke from her light sleep when she felt her immediate source of warmth leave their cocoon of blankets and the floorboards of the carriage house to creak as her husband made his way across the small room. Through a hooded gaze, she watched him pull on a pair of his trousers and make his way to the couch in front of the fireplace. His shoulders were hunched, his gaze watching his feet: he had another nightmare. She could tell from the way he stood as if he was carrying Christ’s cross himself.

“Mulder.” She sighed. “Mulder,” she urged, “come back to bed. You’ll catch your death in this cold.”

“I’m fine.”

“Did you have another nightmare?”

He nodded miserably from the shadows. She sighed and wrapped herself in her night coat and hissed as her feet hit the icy floors. She shuffled and took his arm, trying to lead him back to bed.

“Come on, Mulder.”

“Did I ever tell you I saw battle elsewhere? Parts along North Carolina’s coast and Manassas before I came to Norfolk,” he whispered in hushed tones. “I did not really belong anywhere. It wasn’t crazy or feel unusual at the time, but I got hit at Bull Run. Did I tell you that?” He brought her hand to his left shoulder and pressed it against his bare chest. “I should’ve died,” he continued. “I should’ve died on that damn battlefield so I could have joined my dead wife and child.”

Scully stilled. Mulder continued to walk them back to bed where Scully turned down the covers again and took off his trousers in exchange for his sleeping garments.

“I should have died, Scully,” he continued absently as if in a trance. “It was the middle of summer. I forget which day of the battle it was but I was on the ground amongst dead...Federal, Confederate, we were all the same. Dead men. I don’t remember how I got there. It was before I got transferred to Marines through my mother’s influence but I still worked in gathering military information. I got sent a dispatch to one of the regiments…”

He grasped Scully’s arms as she tried to help him adjust in the bed. “I just remember this loud blast and like a bee has stung me, like through my entire arm, Scully. I couldn’t move. Just lay there.”

He closed his eyes and winced in memory. “Did I hurt you, Mulder,” she asked.

“Never, Scully.” He gathered her close. “You could never hurt me.”

She joined him back in bed and pulled him to her chest. He sighed and hugged her tightly with desperation. Their height difference between always amazed her. She remembered seeing him for the first time at the dinner party in Norfolk when he ex-husband invited all his officers to dinner one winter evening. She remembered it was his eyes at first that had caught her attention. But that wasn’t the first time they had met. She remembered seeing him in the streets of Norfolk before he had even met her.

“Do you remember when we first met?”

“At the dinner party?”

“Yes.” He was so warm. She twisted around him like a vine. “No. I didn’t remember until recently. Shall I tell you a story?”

“Please.” He was desperate to cast away his nightmares and the lifetime of guilt. He felt her warm hands run up and down his chest. “You’re a godsend. Do you know that?”

“Someone might have mentioned that.”

She gently stroked his chest as he closed his eyes trying to remember the last time that either one of them felt safe. “I saw you from the distance in the cold January snow. I thought who is that handsome man?”

“Handsome?” He whispered.

“Devilishly so.” She kissed her bare shoulder and began to grow bold. She wanted to make him feel good and forget.

“I remember when I was shot and laying out in the hot sun. I smelled death all around me. I thought I should have died.”

“You didn't though, Mulder. Do you ever wonder why God saved you?”

“I haven’t done much better with you, Scully. This is hardly a peaceful life.”

She sighed and detangled herself from him to his surprise. “You can be so thick sometimes, Mulder.”

Her deft hands undid the bottom half long underwear as she stroked him. “If you hadn’t survived, we never would have met. We never would have run away or escaped from Norfolk or been married.”

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you as well,” Scully replied.

“Why me?”

“Why not you?”

. . . . . .

It was noon. The unseasonably warm March weather continued throughout the rest of the morning as the lounged together in bed. The windows continued to stay open and the air from the ocean wafted through. Scully sat propped by a mountain of pillows with Mulder dozing next to her with his head on her breast. He dozed finally as Scully’s fingers played with his hair. He snuggled closer and she smiled.

“I love this, Scully,” he whispered.

“You should be asleep.”

“I don’t want to sleep. I want to remember this.”

“Remember,” she repeated and chuckled. “What don’t you remember?”

“I remember everything about you.”

“That sounds kind of creepy.”

“But it is true. I want to remember everything about you, Scully.”

Scully tried to think if they would have gotten to the point back in December if it had not been for the knowledge of a relationship together in a past life. Would it had been easier or would she be too afraid to act? “Go back to sleep, Mulder.” She kissed his forehead lovingly. “Let me finish my movie.”

Mulder closed his eyes and continued to enjoy this moment. He could hear the wind whipping up the waves beyond the dunes, a calming sound he was quickly becoming accustomed to. He reached for Scully’s hand and held it. And she let him. “I know I’ve asked you before in the past, Scully,” he whispered. “But how much in detail do you remember?”

“From then?” She sighed. Why did Mulder keep bringing up this line of thought? Wasn’t he tired of reliving the past? “Their as indistinguishable from this life.”

“How much in detail?”

Still, he continued to push.

“I don’t know. Like I do with my own life. It’s no photographic memory but I’ve never really thought of it. I still can’t wrap my mind around much less explain scientifically how two people from 1860s share faces, memories, and names with us. But I know it’s true. I do believe. But everything. I remember falling in love with you then, and now. I remember the first time I took you to bed then and our less than glamorous first time.”

He chuckled before wincing in pain. She rubbed his back gently and smiled. “I remember everything. I want to remember everything There’s nothing about you I want to forget, Scully.”

“You need to sleep, Mulder,” she reminded him. “You barely did last night because of your shoulder. Do you want me to leave you alone so it will be easier on you?”

“No. This is fine, Scully. This is perfect.”

He continued to relax as Scully went back to watching television and her hand stroked his back bringing him into a trance. He closed his eyes and though there was no other place he would rather be.

. . . . . .

“What do you want from me?”

The smoking man drew a long drag from his recently lit Morley as Alex Krycek stood nervously behind Buckley. The recently escaped prisoner shifted from foot to foot watching him and then cleared his throat as he judged Krycek. “I thought I was free to pursue Mulder and Scully anyway I choose to,” Buckley began. He was annoyed. “We had a deal.”

“I broke you out,” the Smoker said calmly. “You are on my own my dime. And what deal?”

“You think you’re such hot shit,” Buckley groaned. “I’ve lived and seen more than could ever imagine.”

A slight nod of his head, Krycek reached to knock Buckley’s legs out from under him but the escaped convict reacted quicker by punching Krycek out like a light. Buckley regain Krycek’s weapon and pointed it at the Smoker. “So, Carl, let’s try this again. I’m the one in charge.”

The Smoker looked unimpressed. “So you draw a gun on me? That’s it?” He laughed. “I have seen secrets that would drive men made. Do you know how many men I have killed? The things I have seen? You are just another cockroach that I decided not to step on.”

“Even cockroaches can survive a nuclear war.”

“Your fascination with them is annoying, especially with Agent Scully,” the Smoker continued. He eyed the pointed pistol. “Put the weapon down`

“What incentive do I have?”

“Mulder and Scully are in North Carolina. Did you know that?”

“As is half the FBI and Marshals looking for me.”

“They're on the coast. The Outer Banks.”

“What the hell are they doing there? Another one of those bizarro cases?”

The Smoker paused, taking another long drag from his Morley in thought. He had to consider his next answer carefully. Despite the ever-present danger of being shot in the face, the Smoker had read Buckley’s file and the escapades that he had caused this past December. He had to give pause to his obsession with Dana Scully. There was something there but Mulder and Scully were still too valuable to the Smoker. Diana still had used and while the Consortium had folder over the past year, the agents placed him in a dilemma.

“They’re together.”

That was it. That was the right response. He saw Buckley’s fingers tightened around the handle as his fingers turned white.

“Put down the gun, Francis.”

“Frankie,” Buckley corrected.

“Frankie. I can help you get what you want if you help me.”

“I’m listening, Carl.”

. . . . . . .

The morning rolled into the afternoon, Scully left the warmth of their bed as Mulder continued to doze listening to the television. She watched him from the doorway as he rolled onto his stomach with his arm firmly tucked against his chest to stabilize his bad shoulder. She turned off the television and kissed the nape of his exposed neck. He murmured something before quieting again. Scully adjusted his blanket before gathering her discarded sweatshirt and pulling it back on and disappearing back out into the living room.

She eyed the clock on the stove as it read 2:46 in bright green numbers. What day was it? They had been done here for a few days now and still had about a week and a half left of their vacation. The thought made her smile. Whether Scully admitted or not, the stress of the past few months had been growing worse and taking a toll. Her hands began to fix a pot of tea for herself. As the water boiled, she went into the open living room and turned the television on to something mind-numbing. She heard a phone ringing in the kitchen where she had stashed her mobile phone the day before in her purse. Before the phone could wake Mulder, she rushed and snagged it and greeted it with a hiss.

“Scully.”

“Agent Scully?”

Of course, she thought, of course, of course, of course. Skinner.

Even the idea of being able to escape from their lives in Washington and the constant disruptions as being FBI agents and a sanctuary to work on them, both past and present, was far fetched. Neither one of them could escape any duties that they had. In one life, Scully remembered the duties that she had to try and maintain the decorum of a proper housewife in a secreted existence where she was a spy. She chose to be with him against all odds. She felt a similar feeling in this life as she chose to defender her partner and backed him and their work with her science. It felt like their world was closing in around them again and it was suffocating.

“Yes, sir?”

“How are you holding up, Agent Scully?”

“As well as can be expected, sir,” she replied automatically.

“And Agent Mulder,” he pressed.

She bit her lip and was unsure on how to reply to the unwelcomed question as alarms bells began to go off in her head: the rushes to judgment, the secrecy of their relationship breaking out only to confirm the truth to the Hoover, and boom, all over. “He is currently sleeping. Rolled his shoulder the other day.”

“Scully, look I don’t care what is going on between you and your partner.”

“I don't know what you mean by that sir.”

“I don’t care, Scully. This is about Buckley.”

“Buckley.”

“He was spotted on a security camera outside of Yorktown near a gas station. We’re unsure of his next move.”

“We?”

“You got Benson and Yarrow in addition to Washington on this.”

Oh shit.

“Two field offices?”

“Tidewater Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina are unique. We’ve already reached to the local sheriff and they’ll be doing patrols around where you are staying. The best plan is for you and Agent Mulder to do whatever it is you are doing.”

“And what would that be, sir?”

“Staying put. I believe Agent Mulder’s mother is from North Carolina? Probably has some family down there?”

“Thank you, sir.”

“We’ll be in touch, Agent Scully.”

He hung up without another word. Scully immediately went to their bedroom to dig through their bags to find their service weapons and badges. Everything was still there and in one piece. Mulder snorted in his sleep and she felt herself back into an old memory where they had been happy and it was just them without a care in the world. She was glad she had not given Mulder a stronger pain killer because he rolled over and asked groggily. “Scully?”

“Everything’s okay, Mulder,” she said quickly. She checked the magazine on her sig-p226. They might need more ammo. “Just finishing up a movie.”

“You’re lying,” he said, already falling back asleep.

“When you wake up. We’ll order dinner and I’ll explain everything.”

He nodded and hugged a pillow before falling back asleep. Scully kneeled, kissing his temple, and tucked her pistol behind the small of her back before she headed into the living room to sort through the various to-go menus left by the landlords.

. . . . . . . . . .

Yorktown, Virginia October 13, 1862

Mulder wandered through the small rooms above the carriage house like a ghost in the middle of the night. He tried to remember when he felt at peace, the weight of the wedding ring somehow didn’t feel right. Nothing about this situation felt right “Mulder,” Scully called from their bed, “come back here.”

“What happens if Union troops burst in and discover us as spies or worst, the Rebs and kill us as traitors?”

“Well,” she sighed, “I think the Yanks would be happy for our service at least. Come back to bed, Mulder. I’m tired. We’re safe. The Skinners are good people. Did you have nightmares again?”

He shook his head before reluctantly nodding. Like a spirit herself, she silently rose from the bed and grasped his hand and pulled him back with her. Mulder marveled again the woman he had thrown everything away for and chosen to be with. She was a giant in her own right. Her hand traced up his bareback, lingering on the back of his neck before she pulled him down into a searing kiss that society would have found scandalous. “I’m here now with you,” she whispered, “you aren’t on the battlefield or that boat. The Union occupies this town so we’ll be safe. And together.” She kissed away his tears and hugged him awkwardly. “I love you, Fox Mulder.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Why? Are you still blaming yourself for our predicament? I told you, I choose you. It is my body, my life, not Franklin’s.”

“But this...your family.”

“This war spilt my family long ago. I have you.”

“That is not saying much.”

“It is saying a great deal, Mulder. Just come back and keep me warm. I miss you.”

He smiled weakly. “All I am to you is a blanket?”

“You make this cold bearable. These blankets don’t do anything.” He nuzzled her neck uncharacteristically of a gentleman of the time. But then again, he wasn’t a gentleman. He was a womanizer and cheat having run off with a married woman. Scully stopped him as if hearing his thoughts. She cupped his cheek. “You’re none of those things, Mulder.”

“I should add wood to the fire.”

“It’s just fine, Mulder. We don’t need anymore. Come back to bed with me,” she encouraged. He nodded in defeat. Scully pulled him close as they crawled back underneath the feathered quilts. “What do you want me to do? Just tell me.”

“Just talk,” he whispered. “I love the sound of your voice, even when you read to me your second-hand medical texts. Just talk.”

“I can do that. Poetry? A novel? Medical texts?”

“No,” he whispered. “Just talk.”

“Anything you want.” She sat up in bed and cradled him. “I wish I could tell you a story to soothe you.”

“You do,” Mulder whispered. His eyes began to close. “You make everything just better.”

. . . . . . . . .

Mulder awoke to the smell of fried shrimp and soup of some kind. His stomach grumbled in eagerness. He rolled out of bed, wincing in the process, as he rotated his injured shoulder gently. He looked out to the window, noticing the darkening sky and the closed windows. A storm must be becoming. Holding his arm close to his chest, he opened the bedroom door and saw Scully standing at the stove absently stirring a pot. Her head was bowed in thought. He saw a plate of shrimp po’boys next to her.

“Cooking dinner, Scully?” He asked with a yawn.

“I just ran out when you were sleeping,” she said softly. “I’m reheating the Hatteras chowder I picked up too.”

“Got to take advantage of that fresh seafood while we’re down here, huh?” He walked up behind her and kissed her cheek. He ran his hand up and down her back soothingly. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” she whispered. “I don’t know. Skinner called me when you were asleep. Aside from the fact that he knows about us…”

“I feel like that is the least of our concerns,” Mulder countered.

She turned and crossed her arms, clearly frustrated. “Buckley was spotted in Yorktown. They have two field offices, local pd from god knows how many counties, and what other federal agencies all trying to track this one man down. Skinner made no reference of the cigarette smoking bastard but I know, we both know he is involved. And what’s worse? Skinner is ordering is to stay put.”

“Stay put? Like just stay at this beach house and finish out our vacation? We still have 10 more days left. That doesn’t sound so bad,” Mulder replied.

“Only you would find the good in this situation.” She looked up and found herself grounded by her partner’s warm gaze. “I feel so powerless in this situation, Mulder.”

“I know, and I know how you hate feeling like this. Let’s eat dinner and we can talk so more about this, okay?”

“Do you know how strange this feels,” Scully asked as she pulled two bowls down from the cabinet. “Almost normal. Natural. Us as a couple.”

“Partners,” he clarified. “Just an evolving definition.”

They carried their dinner into the living room, sitting their dinner on the coffee table, before sitting side by side. Scully narrowed her eyes as she reached for the television remote as if debating turning it on. “Put it on ESPN,” Mulder advised, “so we don’t have to watch it.”

“I want to see what the local news is saying,” she told him.

Mulder nodded in acquiescence and passed her the television remote. “When did you have to get dinner?”

“In between fortifying the top floor and caring for you,” she answered flipping through the channels. She settled on a channel and set the remote down. “I am just doing what I need to do.”

He bit his lip, resisting the urge to kiss her then and there. Instead, he watched her as she brought the mug of soup up and blew gently on the spoon before taking the bite. “Thank you,” he settled for.

“For what?”

Mulder shrugged. “Just being you,” he answered.

Scully paused and glanced at him as he awkwardly picked up the sandwich and took a healthy bite. She set the mug down, kissed his cheek wordlessly, and went back to her dinner. Mulder smiled as the local forecast changed to the weather.

“I saw some storm clouds when I woke up towards the sound side. Even lightning.”

“Well, they’re calling for rain tonight,” she replied. “Might not get a good sunrise but we can lay by the beach in the afternoon.”

“No surfing?”

“No surfing,” she laughed.

The meteorologist droned on before switching the radar map to the Outer Banks were Mulder and Scully were staying. “While things remain quiet for the metro area, we got a strong line of thunderstorms rolling towards the Outer Banks with the strongest cells concentrated towards Nags Head and Kitty Hawk.”

A clap of thunder punctuated the forecast.

“That was close,” he remarked. Suddenly the sound of rain hitting the windows could be heard with growing intensity. Mulder smiled and nudged her. “Snuggle weather, Scully.”

“Atmosphere weather more like it. Eat your food before it gets cold.”

He chuckled wincing as he did. Scully unconsciously began to rub his back as she focused on eating her food and focusing on the weather forecast. Mulder was amazed he could be so lucky to have her, as his FBI partner, friend, and now, soulmate. The weatherman continued. “We’ve been watching this line of storms for the past hour and they are strong. Our early forecasting indicates that if you are in Kitty Hawk and Nags Head, make sure you are inside.” Another loud clap of thunder rolled by. “These cells are strong. We already have previous reports of…”

With another roll of thunder and a flash of lighting, Mulder and Scully found themselves in the dark. “Well,” Mulder started, “there goes the electricity.”

Scully audibly groaned at the inconvenience. “I’m already one step ahead.” Carefully she inched forward towards the kitchen trying to avoid any sharp edges. A flashlight beam came from out of nowhere and then numerous candles were lit and spread throughout their one floor living quarters. “I had a feeling that we could lose power while we were down here so I picked some up at Wal-Mart earlier tonight.”

Mulder moved to help her but she waved him off. She set a couple of candles in the kitchen, a few near the living room, and one in their bedroom. He was always amazed by her. To his utter surprise, he heard some music come from their bedroom as she carried out a crank radio and found a classical station on it.

“This came from the house,” she added. “I guess it is part of their emergency hurricane kit.”

“Not complaining,” he said. He took another bite of his sandwich. “I’m just admiring.”

She laughed and went to rejoin Mulder on the couch. The thunder rolled above again and she nudged him gently. “Kind of romantic, isn’t it?”

“What?” He took sipped his soup. “Candlelit dinner with you?”

“Quit being an ass.”

“At least we don’t have to watch the news,” he said.

“We need a plan though.”

“What can we do?” Mulder asked. “Skinner told us to stay here.”

“Since when has that stopped you?”

Mulder sighed. “I just want to move past him, and yes, I know the irony of that statement. I want us to have a future. I mean, how do you go through your life knowing that you’ve lived before?”

Scully stared at her soup before answering, “I’ve been struggling to answer that myself. I wonder…” She drew in a deep breath. “If Emily was the spirit of the child we were meant to have.” She cleared her throat, leaned forward, and stirred the soup. “Meant to have.”

“You think we’d have a little girl?” he asked. He leaned forward and pushed the food around. “I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”

“Power will be back on before morning,” Scully answered, gathering the remains of their dinner to store in the fridge. “Just make sure you don’t open the fridge unless you are certain. We don’t want to waste cold air. And what do you mean? We’d have a little girl?”

“Back then, in the other life,” he whispered, watching a dancing candle flame. “I’ve been thinking maybe Emily…”

“Don’t go there,” Scully hissed in a low whisper. Raw pain was in her voice. Mulder saw her glassy eyes with unshed tears. “Don’t bring Emily into this. We lost our first round in IVF. There still pain there, Mulder.”

“I know,” he said trying to backtrack. “I don’t want you to hurt. I wish I could take all the pain away from you in the world.”

“That’s the point of this vacation right,” she scoffed. “But we have to keep our guard up in case a psychotic killer who used to be my exhusband a hundred and fifty years ago and that we put away.”

“Well at least I got to see you surf,” he tried to joke.

She gave a weak smile. “Maybe we should have gotten a smaller beach house.”

He squeezed her hand. “I’ll go check the rest of the house and make sure it’s secure. Do you want to stay out here or go to the bedroom?”

“I’m really not in the mood for anything, Mulder.”

“I wasn’t implying. Let’s just…” He shrugged. “What do normal couples do? Snuggle? Cuddle?”

Scully relaxed and nodded softly. “I’ll check the candles.”

Mulder walked into the bedroom, grabbed his weapon and flashlight, and went downstairs. Like a ghost, Scully blew out some candles and moved others into her bedroom. She went to the bedroom windows and opened it slightly so she could hear the waves of the ocean against the shore and the rain. Thunder rumbled in the distance and lightning lit up the sky again. She went to the chest of drawers and drew out one of Mulder’s t-shirts and a pair of light boxers from her own drawer and put them on. Cooler air flowed through the open window and she shivered slightly before crawling into the left side of the bed. She let herself drift listening to waves as her eyes closed. “You took my side of the bed.”

She jerked awake and saw Mulder in candlelight with a tired smile. “Mulder. You scared me.”

“Sorry. The house is secure. I placed the furniture in front of the two other doors on the ground floor and the second floor. I locked the sliding glass door up here so in case we do have to go, just make sure to grab the flashlight.”

Scully watched him with hooded eyes as she bordered on the edge of sleep. “You’re not going to sleep,” she realized. “You just woke up from a late nap.”

“Just means I can keep watch,” he said softly. “Do you want me to bring the radio in here so we can play the classical station?”

“Neither. I opened the window so we can hear the rain and waves.”

Mulder paused and gave a satisfied smile. “We’re going to make love out there before this vacation is over, Scully.”

“Keep on dreaming, Mulder. I would be satisfied with just here. Come to bed.”

He changed into his yellow sleeping pants and set his weapon on the nightstand near Scully. He pulled back the sheet and curled up behind Scully. His warm hand ran down her thigh before he pulled her close. Scully sighed contently and hugged him close. “This is all I would ever want, Mulder,” she whispered.

He took a deep breath and kissed the nape of her neck. “Forever is forever, Scully. Can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Never would want that,” she whispered. “Love you too much.”

Mulder felt Scully take one more deep breath as she drifted back to sleep. Mulder smiled to himself and listened to the storm, the waves, and Scully. If eternity could be capitalized into a single moment, this would be it.

#xfiles #xf fic #txf #txf fic #msr fic #false flags redux #msr #Fox Mulder #Dana Scully #mulder and scully #case fic

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viralberry · 6 years ago

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Doctors Remove Live Cockroach From a Woman’s Skull

Everyone’s heard the old wives tale- you swallow up to 5 spiders a year while you’re sleeping.

While this is blatantly false, and honestly makes no sense when you think about it- I mean would you willingly crawl into the mouth of a sleeping giant?- other insects aren’t as cautious.

Insects like the cockroach, that most hated by mankind of all insectdom.

Today we’re taking a look at the woman with a cockroach living in her head.

Cockroaches are insidious little creatures.

They plague our homes and resist our best attempts to exterminate them.

Yet no matter how bad the infestation, no one ever seriously thinks that they would be bold enough to make the move inside the human body.

But that’s exactly what happened in the city of Nunkambakkam, India, just this November.

One night a 42- year old woman identified known as Selvi insect crawling around her nostril as she slept.

Brushing the insect away, she was horrified to discover that it had bolted straight up her nose! Feeling it crawling around inside her nostril, Selvi said that the small cockroach gave her a burning sensation in her eyes as it crawled around.

Unable to sleep- and who could blame her?- she sat up and waited for dawn so she could go to a nearby clinic.

At the clinic the doctors quickly referred her to a nearby government hospital, where she had a nasal endoscopy performed to find the intrusive cockroach.

Still alive, the nose spelunking insect had lodged itself in the skull between Selvi’s eyes.

“This is the first such case I have seen in my three decades of practice”, remarked Dr.M N Shankar.

The doctors would go on to successfully remove the cockroach, and comment that they were glad Selvi had not waited to see them as if the cockroach had died she would have developed an infection which could have spread to the brain.

Those doctors probably shouldn’t have worried about Selvi taking her time to see them, as we’re pretty sure nobody would hesitate to immediately head to the hospital if a cockroach ran up their nose.

Selvi’s incident was a freak accident as cockroaches don’t typically decide to go exploring inside the human body.

Other insects however aren’t so careful, or deliberately seek out other creatures to inhabit or lay their eggs in.

If you’ve got the stomach for it, stay tuned as we explore more incidents of creepy crawleys ending up inside people.

In July of 2013, for-year-old Paul Franklin was on vacation with his family when he tripped and skinned his knee at the beach.

Kids are notorious for getting bumps and scrapes, so his family cleaned him up, bandaged him, and didn’t think much of it.

A few weeks later, the knee became infected and the family took Paul to the hospital.

After a quick inspection, doctors believed the cause to be nothing more than a staph infection and treated it with antibiotics.

The infection did indeed abate,but a black bump just under the skin continued to grow.

On a hunch, Paul’s mom decided to squeeze the bump and out popped a living sea snail! Turns out that when Paul had scratched up his knee, he must have inadvertently picked up a fertilized sea snail egg which got stuck in his flesh.

Paul took the tiny invader in stride though and decided to keep it, calling it Turbo after the star of an animated film.

Earlier we mocked the old wive’s tale of a spider climbing into your mouth only to be swallowed, yet our next incident makes us feel that perhaps we were a bit hasty in our disbelief.

Back in 2014 an Australian man named Dylan Maxwell went on holiday to the Indonesian island of Bali.

Enjoying the tropical beaches and lush jungles, Dylan felt what he thought was an insect bite at the base of a small appendix scar on his navel.

Visiting a local doctor he was prescribed an antihistamine for insect bite and discharged.

Upon returning home however a red scar-like trail started developing from his navel all the way up his chest, and an alarmed Dylan visited a hospital to be checked out.

Doctors were shocked to discover that a small tropical spider had actually crawled inside of Dylan and made its way up his body, staying alive for three whole days! Dylan’s spider tenant was successfully removed, and the worst Dylan has to endure now is his friends calling him Spider man.

Bot flies are horrible little creatures who lay their eggs on the exterior of other living creatures- usually mosquitoes or flies.

Upon hatching, the larvae burrow into the host and start to feed, emerging later to pupate into mature adult bot flies.

Sometimes a female bot fly will choose a human as a host, and usually the burrowed larva is easily removed by simply covering the burrow hole with anointment or other substance that blocks the larva from breathing Usually.

The US Air Force and other military branches routinely engage in humanitarian aid work, dispatching military doctors and other medical personnel to impoverished areas around the world.

Back in the year 2000, a 5 year old boy reported to an Air Force medical camp with a swollen eye and complaining of not being able to see out of it.

When the military doctors examined his eye, they were horrified to discover a nearly fully grown bot fly larva attached directly to his eyeball.

Under general anesthesia, the doctors made a small incision into the eyeball and removed a whopping 19 millimeter bot fly larva.

The boy would go on to make a full recovery, and after learning of this incident flies may have trumped cockroaches as our own personal most hated insect in the world. Our original story features a woman with a cockroach who could have infected her brain, but our next one shows what happens when insects manage to actually get inside the brain itself.

If you have the stomach for it, keep on reading, and if not we recommend you stop here. Ok, we warned you.

Back in October of 2002 a 70 year old man in the US was involved in a minor car accident.

When police arrived they were shocked at the man’s condition.

Despite not having suffered any injuries in the accident, the upper portion of the man’s skull and large amounts of his brain were visible, and the shocked officers immediately contacted paramedics.

When taken to the hospital the man was found to be suffering from an unusual form of cancer which had eaten away at a portion of his skull and scalp,but because it did not cause him any pain he had never sought treatment.

The exposed brain was discovered to be infested with live maggots, which had infested the man for an unknown amount of time.

Doctors removed the maggots by suction and with a mild bleach solution, though the man would go on to die from his untreated cancer three months later.

You might be wondering how the man could possibly be alive after having an exposed brain infested with live maggots, but turns out that the maggots were probably what was keeping him alive.

As the cancer ate away at the man’s skull and scalp, the maggots- which only eat decaying flesh and leave healthy flesh alone-would have consumed any infected flesh that might have caused a serious and deadly infection.

We have no idea how this man chose to go around his day with an exposed brain and live maggots living on it, but at least the maggots he was giving a home to were keeping his gaping wound clean and healthy.

In fact, doctors in developed nations have started using maggots to treat infected wounds, and the treatments have been found to be far more effective than anything used prior.

So next time you go to the doctor with a bad cut, if it gets infected you might just go home patched up with a few maggots wriggling around inside you and keeping you healthy! By the way, if you have the stomach for it go ahead and google this last story, as there are photos- but be warned, you might not want to eat lunch today if you do.

We sincerely hope you can sleep tonight without feeling an itching, crawling sensation all over your body- is it just scratchy sheets,or is some insect making its way along your skin, just looking for a chance to make you its new home? Is that random itch by your ear just a stray hair, or is a creepy crawly trying to get inside your ear and to your brain? Is that bump on your stomach just another bug bite, or is something burrowing deeper inside you, looking to lay its eggs in your flesh?

Thanks for reading till the end, and as always, don’t forget to like, share and react.

See you next time.

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#Animals #WTF #Cockroach #Doctors Remove Live Cockroach #Live Cockroach From a Woman’s Skull #Skull

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