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wqintraining · 1 year ago

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NEW X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - SEASON 2, EPISODE 9

We open in the past, to a time we've glimpsed before. In the time that immediately preceded the original rise of Dark Phoenix, the classic X-Men have been defeated and captured by the Hellfire Club. Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Storm are stripped down and trapped in hanging cages, with only the latter still conscious.

Storm screams in agony as Emma, the heartless White Queen, psychically tortures her. She tells Storm to stop resisting and that she just wants them to be friends, while speaking in a sickeningly sweet tone and visibly is having the time of her life doing this.

Emma pauses her attack and gives Storm the chance to speak. Panting, but still determined, Storm tells her that she will not get away with whatever she's planning and that she will face the wrath of a goddess for this insult.

Emma reaches her hand through the bars and slaps her.

A goddess? She thinks far too much of herself. But that's okay. The White Queen is here to teach her her proper place in the world.

Emma resumes torturing Ororo, laughing maniacally as she does so.

In the present, Emma is seated at Scott's desk, laughing more casually as she twirls her finger in her hair. She's on the phone, but it isn't clear who she's talking to, as they simply make small talk.

Outside in the hall, Storm is looking to speak with Cyclops, but hears Emma's voice inside. She takes a deep breath and steels herself before heading into the office.

Storm demands to know why Emma is in here on her own and where Scott is, but Emma just raises a finger, telling her to wait a minute.

Storm gets impatient as Emma obnoxiously draws out the call. Before she finally hangs up, she tells the person on the other end of the call "the plan will not fail."

Once Emma is off the phone, Storm asks her what that was about. Emma tells her not to worry; it's actual business, not X-Men business. She wouldn't understand.

Storm sneers at her, but refuses to take the bait, and just asks where Scott is. Emma informs her that he's prepping the Blackbird. They have matters in France to attend to.

Storm asks if Emma found a new Mutant, but Emma only hums that it's something like that. Increasingly frustrated, Storm notes that ever since Scott and Emma began "SIGH…dating" the X-Men haven't gone on any missions as a team. The two of them dealt with Sublime on their own, they've been hunting the remaining U-Men cells on their own, and they've been retrieving new Mutants on their own.

Emma says that yes, they have, and things are going well. But Storm shouldn't feel redundant. She knows she's doing her best.

Storm slams her hands down on the desk. Perhaps if she delegated more, she could focus more time on addressing the telepaths she brought here who terrorized the rest of their students. Emma tries to assure her she's handling the Cuckoos, but Storm doesn't care. Too little, too late.

STORM: "I am through putting up with your rank arrogance. Test me again, and I'll test how durable your diamond form truly is."

Storm marches off, while Emma just kicks her legs up on the table and smirks. She's looking forward to it.

Elsewhere in the school, Iceman is teaching sex ed. While he is properly demonstrating how to put on a condom, he cannot stop making horny sex jokes as he does so.

Seated in this class are Brian and Quentin. The two of them aren't paying any attention, with Brian having already gotten this talk from his dad when he came out as gay, while Quentin figures he won't be getting any until he's rich, famous, and beloved.

BRIAN: "Aren't you already rich?"

QUENTIN: "Yes, but not famous or beloved."

Brian tells him, if nothing else, he likes him, and thanks Quentin for still talking to him after all the "Hellions" crap. Quentin appreciates it, with him mentioning that Brian is the only one who directly apologized to him, but he really never even blamed him.

QUENTIN: "You're a sheep who lives among a pack of wolves. You did what you had to do to survive. I believed Cessily to be a sheep as well, but she's shown her true colors."

BRIAN, weirded out: "Riiiiight."

Brian turns his attention away from his new sorta-friend, and toward Iceman, just in time to hear…

ICEMAN: "...but listen, it may be my job to teach you all how to do this yourself, but for all you studs, I'm rooting for you to have someone else doing it."

Among a mix of awkward laughter and a single enthusiastic cheer from Specter, Brian raises an eyebrow.

The bell rings and everyone starts clearing out. As Brian stands, Quentin's face lights up as he checks to make sure Brian is still free to come with him to Jumbo Carnation's fashion show that weekend.

BRIAN: "I still can't believe you're into fashion."

QUENTIN: *Snapping his suspenders*: "I don’t see how."

Brian laughs.

BRIAN: "Yeah, man. I'm there."

As Brian walks off, Quentin eagerly turns to Glob, who was sitting on the opposite side of him, and raises his hand for a high five.

QUENTIN: "Wooh! A second friend! Gonna be great."

Glob taps Quentin's hand.

In the hangar bag, Scott is prepping the Blackbird and…is also telling it what a good girl it is. With the new engine he had Beast install, she's gonna fly better than ever.

"Eh hem".

Scott, embarrassed, turns around to find Ororo behind him, an amused smile on her face.

Scott: "Ororo, I was just…um…"

Storm laughs and tells him to be calm. She likes the rare moments he allows himself to be at ease.

Scott asks if this means they're talking again…again. Ororo confesses that she'll never be able to stay mad at him forever.

STORM: "Although Kitty may be a different story."

Scott: "She learned a lot from Logan. Including how to hold a grudge."

Scott follows up and asks if this also means she's willing to give Emma a chance. Storm confirms that, no, actually, she's more suspicious than ever.

Scott sighs and rubs his forehead, but Ororo tells him to listen to her. No, obviously, she has not been fond of Emma's presence since she arrived, nor has she supported…whatever is going on between her and Scott…but this is different. She spoke to Emma just now and she seemed different. And yet also familiar.

Scott asks her to stop, but Ororo refuses. She knows she sensed a darkness around her earlier, and she fears she knows why. She came here on his invitation, broke up his marriage, and has had him largely isolated recently - the latter a strategy they both know she's used to control people before.

SCOTT: "Get to the point."

STORM: "The point is that I believe she's tired of denying her true nature. And she desires to drag you into darkness with her."

Scott stares down at the floor in thought.

SCOTT: "Ok."

STORM: "Okay?"

Cyclops tells her he's hearing her, and assures her he does get why she's concerned. There are no telepaths stronger than Emma left on Earth, but Betsy and Rachel, together, should still be able to get in her mind, no problem. She can call them and have them investigate as soon as he and Emma get home. In the meantime, she's in charge.

Storm concedes that that's fair. It doesn't happen often, but she hopes that she's wrong.

Storm wishes him luck and flies off, passing Emma on her way out. The two exchange one more glare.

Ororo immediately flies to the teacher's lounge, where Kitty, Beto, and Bobby are having lunch together. She tells Kitty that she's decided to accompany Cyclops and Emma on their France mission for the next several days; she's in charge while they're all gone.

KITTY: "Wait, I'm fourth in command?!"

BETO AND BOBBY, mouths full: "She's fourth in command???"

Storm knows she'll do well, offering brief encouragement before departing in a rush.

Kitty's stomach rumbles, and she doesn't think it was the tuna.

In the cafeteria, the friend group, sans Brian, is having lunch. With Noriko having evidently decided to share with everyone else what she shared with Julian, Cessily wants to know more about the "Old Noriko".

CESSILY: "Were you boy crazy? Were you super excited about school festivals and stuff?!"

NORIKO: "One, please learn about Japan from something other than anime. Two, yes. Yes, I was."

Everyone laughs.

JULIAN: "She also mentioned while we were in the med bay that she was on the volleyball team."

The laughter continues as Noriko buries her face in her hands.

ROXY: "So you DO have a hobby!"

NORIKO, embarrassed and growling: "Screw you, Keller."

JULIAN: "Not in your wildest dreams."

Sofia rolls her eyes. After what the two of them went through together, she'd hoped they'd be a little kinder toward one another.

Noriko and Julian both bristle at that, but underneath the table, we see that they're playfully kicking at each other's feet.

CESSILY: "Wait, Nori! If we could get a volleyball team started here, I could cheer for you!"

Even more laughter. Nori wants to die.

NORIKO, to Laura: "I don't suppose you can distract everyone by telling us about the time you killed some pro volleyball player?"

Laura tilts her head and thinks.

LAURA: "I don't think I ever killed a VOLLEYball player."

Sooraya pats her on the back.

Brian arrives, taking his seat and asking everyone if they've noticed anything "off" about Mr. Drake.

JULIAN: "You mean besides the fact he's dumber than Ashida?"

Nori adds a little shock to their game of footsie, making him fall out of his seat.

While everyone now laughs at Julian, instead, Brian explains what he's talking about. Namely, he seems unnaturally horny. And in contrast to how sexless the rest of the teachers are around them, besides Ms. Frost, he can't help but wonder if he's maybe over-performing.

CESSILY: "You think Iceman might be gay?"

ROXY: "I dunno. Seems pretty straight to me. Guy's gotten to sleep with Polaris. You'd be horny too if you lost that."

BRIAN: "I really wouldn't be."

Brian sighs. He can't just ask him something like this, you don't just drag someone out of the closet…but maybe he could find out if he's right and ease him out at the same time.

NORIKO: "This sounds like a terrible plan that could only have even worse consequences and I support you 100%."

LAURA: "I'm bored. I'll help."

NORIKO: "Oh even better!

In a dialogue-free montage, Scott and Emma are yucking it up in the Blackbird as they fly to France, with Storm trailing right behind them, staying just far away enough for her to not be picked up by the plane’s sensors.

In France, Storm, in disguise, follows Scott and Emma and is deeply annoyed when she discovers the two are just on a getaway, having fun, and not actually doing any work. Still, she keeps watching just in case that changes. It does not. She’s simply left annoyed as she watches Emma drag Scott around Paris, the two getting lunch in a fancy restaurant, catching the opera, and, clearly, Scott’s favorite part, taking a helicopter tour.

Storm looks like she’s two seconds away from killing herself in frustration by the end of this.

Back in the teacher’s lounge, Iceman is watching TV. There’s a knock on the door, and Bobby laughs that they don’t need to knock. Brian and Laura enter.

ICEMAN: “Oh. Kids. I guess you did need to knock.” He continues to talk as they approach him. “You know it’s weird they let you be an X-Man but treat you like another one of the students, right?”

LAURA: “Believe me, I know.”

Brian re-introduces himself since he and Iceman haven’t really talked, but Bobby does know him. After all, he’s one of their “X-Men in Training”.

ICEMAN: “You’re the Alpha-level telekinetic, right?”

TAG: “No. I just said I’m Tag. I tag myself and make people run away.”

ICEMAN: “Right, right, right.” Iceman mumbles to himself that that doesn’t seem like much of an X-Man power. Brian hears this and sneers. “So, what do you need?”

Brian says that he’s pretty open about it, but he’s gay. Bobby thinks he should be talking to Northstar then. He seems to be getting along with that other gay kid. Well, about as well as Jean-Paul gets along with anyone.

ICEMAN: “Wait, does this have to do with sex ed? Oh god please tell me it doesn’t have to do with me.”

Brian takes a breath, trying to stay focused and keep his cool. He gets that this can be hard. He asks Bobby if he’s into anyone right now. Bobby says not really, but, well, he wouldn’t say no to a night with Dazzler.

BRIAN: “Dazzler. Interesting choice. And what about–?”

LAURA: “Are you gay?”

BOBBY: “WHAT?!”

BRIAN: “LAURA!”

LAURA, shrugging: “I came because I was bored. I was getting bored again.”

Bobby is frustrated, annoyed and confused, but makes clear that, no, no he is very much not gay. There’s nothing wrong with living like that, but it’s not his speed. He tells them both to get out. Now.

BRIAN: “I just thought–”

ICEMAN: “Now!”

Dejected, Brian exits, Laura following along.

LAURA: “We did our best.”

Brian glares at her.

LAURA: “What?”

In Scott’s office, Kitty is at his desk being forced to pick up his and Emm’s workload. After less than a day, she already seems to be losing her mind. She’s struggling to juggle all of the phone calls, emails, reports, and scheduling required of her.

Eventually, she finds herself with a moment to breathe…only for Dazzler to stomp in, pissed off. Apparently, Kitty sent her a notice that she’s to go out of her to spend some time with the Cuckoos.

DAZZLER: “I’m not dealing with those little terrors! They’re Emma’s problem!”

Kitty rubs her forehead and softly asks Allison not to shout. For one, this was Scott’s idea, not hers. They may be Emma’s squad, but they’ve expressed that they’re fans of, and want to be like, Dazzler. So, they need her to be a good rolemodel for them. They’re not asking.

DAZZLER: “Gross. This is going to be worse than all of those, “Win a Chance to Spend a Day with Dazzler” sweepstakes.”

Allison agrees, but mumbles about finding a new agent as she exits.

Kitty sighs as she leans back in her chair, but she is once again denied a moment of peace. A stepping disc opens behind her, and Magik puts her hands over her eyes.

MAGIK: “Guess who!”

KITTY: “Ugggh. Selene Gallio?”

MAGIK: “Ha! She wishes!”

Magik teleports in front of Kitty and asks why she’s such a mess. Kitty explains that she never quite realized WHY they needed multiple headmasters, and she’s now terrified that this is going to be all on her one day.

Yana thinks she’s looking at this the wrong way though. Instead of freaking out about having to do all this work, she should use her minions.

KITTY: “My minions?”

MAGIK: “The teachers! They’re all here because they want to be. And if they want to work so bad, they may as well be working as hard as those in gulags.”

Kitty doesn’t like the “gulag” part…but maybe she could get some help from them. Magik tells her not to worry about it. She can just stay focused on what she’s doing now. Just give her the authority, and she’ll whip them all into shape.

Kitty takes a moment to consider if she should really do this.

KITTY: “Fine. You know what, it’s either this or I drink, and I’m not 21 for another month! Let’s give it a try!”

Magik laughs maniacally.

KITTY: “Not helping, Yana.”

In Paris, Scott and Emma get checked into a hotel. Storm is completely fed up and is frustrated in disbelief that this is what they left the school for. She’s about to head home, but before she flies off, she notices someone exiting the same hotel. Someone who’s been referenced, but never seen before.

STORM: “Fabian Cortez.”

On his phone, Fabian tells someone that he’s on his way, and that their final participants have arrived. It’s time for the new hunt to begin. Storm is left to ponder as Fabian gets into his car and is driven off.

Storm shuts her eyes and softly vocalizes everything she knows. Cortez was one of Magneto’s followers during his darker days, but he also worked alongside Trevor Fitzroy as one of the Upstarts, a group of rich and powerful Mutants who “hunted” other Mutants for their own sick amusement. The Upstarts fell apart after Fitzroy was killed…by Emma, after the Upstarts murdered the Hellions. If they’ve reassembled, their new hunt needs to be nipped in the bud before anyone gets hurt, but she has no idea who she could be facing.

Ororo turns back to the hotel, thinking about looking to Cyclops and Emma for backup.

STORM: “Their final participants have arrived. No…no, it couldn’t be. Scott would never. Even Emma would never work with THEM.”

Storm thinks about it for a minute more…before deciding she cannot risk it, and flies after Cortez to face the new Upstarts alone.

In the gymnasium, Laura is running Brian through his hand-to-hand combat drills, since the Danger Room was taken offline once again after it almost took Emma’s head off. Notably, unlike Sofia’s training sessions with her, this does not involve sparring with Wolverine.

Brian complains to Laura that she was supposed to help with Iceman, not do exactly what he said not to. Laura counters that his strategy wasn’t getting anywhere. She could read from his body language and how he reacted to what she said that Brian was right if that’s any consolation.

BRIAN: “Barely.”

Brian sighs that there has to be something they can do to help him, but Laura has a question.

LAURA: “So many cultures seem to take issue with attraction to one’s own sex. Why?”

BRIAN: “Why do people hate Mutants?”

Laura pauses.

LAURA: “Hate and fear. Weaknesses of the mind.” She pops out her claws. “People should be afraid of me for this. But why fear who I want to kiss?”

BRIAN: “You mean why fear you for wanting to kiss Sofia?”

Laura, unamused, flips Brian off with a single claw.

Brian wishes he got it himself, but he’s not exactly a history scholar. All he knows is that religion has “something” to do with it, the hate has been passed down for thousands of years, and people are always just looking for something to get angry at.

BRIAN: “Not like they can’t just read comics if that’s what they want.”

Laura asks if that’s why he and Cessily got so into the whole “Hellions” thing.

LAURA: “You’re both angry. At the whole world. And that what your way of getting back at it. Right?”

BRIAN: “...something like that.”

Brian admits that he knows it was wrong, and he knew it was wrong at the time, but it still felt so good. He felt like he was powerful and had no reason to be afraid at all.

Inside a warehouse, a platinum haired woman in red and yellow looks up at a blank scoreboard as she sips a glass of wine, excitedly moaning over how good it is. Really, it’s the perks like these that she missed most about running with the Upstarts.

Brian asks if Laura will spar with him like she spars with Sofia. He wants to get stronger. Laura warns him he'll get hurt, but he's up to the challenge.

As she stuffs horderves in her face, a young man in a suit approaches her, questioning what she HAS been doing. She’s as powerful as any Mutant, but she’s been, what, robbing banks?

“Really, Sienna, I’d have thought you’d do more.”

SIENNA BLAZE: “Ah, shut it, Shaw. You don’t know my story.”

“Nor do I particularly care about it. And please, it’s Shinobi.”

Cortez enters with a wide, fake grin on his face, telling his old accomplices how lovely they both look tonight and how happy he is they could make it for this little reunion. Shinobi tells him to drop the bit. He’s only here because Cortez promised this hunt would conclude with a group assault on the Xavier Institute, and he wants to wring his hands around the necks of the children who humiliated his father. Sienna is more of the spirit of things and is excited to get started, questioning if the only ones yet to arrive are the newbies.

SHINOBI: “I certainly hope so. Otherwise, that would mean our dear host invited…”

“Greetings, old friends!”

Shinobi and Sienna both cringe as Andreas and Andrea Von Strucker enter the scene. Fabian happily greets them both, blowing air kisses at the two, delighted that Baron Von Strucker’s wonderful children could rejoin them for this.

Shinobi and Sienna both glare at Cortez.

CORTEZ: “What? They’re good at what they do?”

Sienna groans while Shinobi pinches his nose and moans, “Damn nazis.”

Andreas mocks that they’re clearly intimidated by them, while Sienna clarifies that, no, they just don’t want them kissing in front of them.

ANDREA: “For someone so promiscuous, you sure are a prude.”

SIENNA: “Who are you calling a prune?! Oh I am ready to start this hunt right now!”

Before Sienna can start something, Fabian tells everyone to calm down and not be so hasty. Their final players should be arriving any moment now.

An explosion occurs, blowing a hole in one of the warehouse’s walls, with two men, recognized by comic fans as John Greycrow and Riptide, flying through it, unconscious. Everyone turns their attention to the attack, as Storm enters, lit up with electricity and floating above the Upstarts.

STORM: “Whatever any of you are considering doing next…I recommend surrendering instead.”

Naturally, the Upstarts aren’t going to back down that easily, and ready themselves for battle.

Back in America, Bobby has come to visit Chrisitan Frost. Christian eagerly greets him, referring to him as “my hero”, and it’s established they’ve seen each other a couple of other times since Iceman saved Christian from the U-Men.

BOBBY: “I’m sure you’re just happy to have ANYONE besides your sister visiting you.”

CHRISTIAN: “Are you implying that nearly all my social interaction for a decade and a half involving social gossip and hearing about the latest lives Emma’s destroyed would get tiring? Because you don’t know the half of it.”

Christian obviously doesn’t have any news himself, but he likes hearing about the newest going ons with the X-Men from him; he’s more honest about the embarrassing parts than Emma is.

BOBBY: “Uh, well, Emma’s with Cyclops in France right now. To be determined what that’s about. We just took in a demon? I guess? We’re still trying to–”

Christian cuts him off.

CHRISTIAN: “Stop. A demon? Demons are real?”

BOBBY: “Wow, you’re as out of the loop as the dumb kids I teach.”

Bobby laughs, before spinning that out into a tangent about his earlier encounter with Brian and Laura. He couldn’t believe these kids! Why the Hell would they think he’s gay?! Christian raises an eyebrow and reminds him that HE’S gay.

BOBBY, gesturing to their surroundings: “Obviously! And obviously, I have nothing against gay people!”

CHRISTIAN: “Then why do you sound so offended?”

BOBBY: “I’m not offended!”

The two stare each other down until Christian laughs. Bobby asks what’s so funny.

CHRISTIAN: “Nothing, nothing. I’d just forgotten how those words sounded.”

Christian reminds Bobby that he’s quite a bit older than him, and tells him that what he’s saying is normal. He acted this way too. A lot of them have. It’s what they’re taught to say.

CHRISTIAN: “To be honest, you aren’t hard to peg. At least in that way. I saw it the day we met. I’m sorry those brats brought this up to you before you were ready.”

BOBBY: “Are you calling me gay too?”

CHRISTIAN: “You’re something. If you need to deny it more, go ahead. That’s your choice. But think about all the thoughts you’ve had. Think about your life. And make that choice with everything in mind.”

BOBBY, hanging his head: “I…I don’t…you’re not trying to seduce me, are you? Cause I know you Frosts like younger men.”

CHRISTIAN: “Keep making jokes if you have to. Whatever makes you comfortable.” Christian smirks at him flirtatiously. “And I’m only trying to seduce you if you want me to be.”

Bobby stares off into space as he wraps a sheet of ice around his face.

In Sunspot’s bedroom, he’s on the phone with Monet, who’s screaming at him in French. Roberto, also speaking in French, asks her to please stop shouting. No, Cyclops and Emma haven’t figured out what they’re doing. Frankly, he’d be embarrassed if they already had. No, they’re just in France doing…something.

MONET, over the phone: “I am not going down helping you, Da Costa. Especially not to Ms. Frost.”

There’s a knock on the door.

ROBERTO: “We haven’t done anything wrong. Yet. Try to have some faith in me, hmm? I have to go.”

Roberto takes off his headphones, hangs up, and answers the door.

KITTY, disheveled, but less than before, grinning: “Hi!” She dumps a stack of papers in his hands. “Bye!”

Kitty starts walking away, but Beto follows and asks what this is. Kitty explains that she’s in charge, and she’s decided to delegate some of her duties as temporary headmistress.

KITTY: “Have fun!”

Magik appears beside Kitty as she gets away from Sunspot and the two giggle together. The look on his face just now was priceless! The most nostalgic thing she’s seen since she got here.

KITTY: “Yeah…wake up the others.”

In their bedrooms, Beast, Nightcrawler, Dazzler, Northstar, and Warpath are all woken up from their peaceful slumber as airhorns mystically emerge next to their heads and blow out their eardrums, before Yana’s voice comes out of them, shouting at them to get up NOW; there’s work to be done.

HANK, rubbing his head: “As if I needed another reason to leave.”

In France, while the rest of the Upstarts are ready to tear Storm to shreds, Cortez approaches her with open arms and asks if she’s here to join them on their hunt. They may disagree about whether or not Mutants are a higher form of life than humans, but she is Storm, the so-called goddess - she thinks herself a higher form of life than everyone.

Storm threatens him not to presume to understand her, but the Fenris twins believe he has her pegged. For someone so insufferably arrogant, it’s peculiar that she doesn’t flex more. Not that they’d expect someone like her to know what she was doing.

Storm calls down a bolt of lightning from the heavens and blasts Fenris away.

CORTEZ: “So much for the open hand of friendship!”

Charged up with electromagnetic energy, Sienna flies at Storm. She kicked her ass once, and this time she’s putting her in the ground for good.

SIENNA: “Assuming there’s enough left of you for that.”

As Storm flies and deflects her attacks, mocking that she’s deluding herself if she believes she’s the same Mutant she was when they first fought years ago, increased pressure is put on her as a still conscious Fenris hold hands and attempt to shoot her down with energy blasts.

Andreas reminds her that Blaze isn’t the only one to have nearly taken her out, with Andrea following that if she hadn’t been so annoying and survived, shooting her in her ugly little face would have been the happiest of memories.

Storm summons a fierce wind and sends all three of them flying back into a wall. Staying alert, she scans with her eyes for Cortez and Shinobi. Shinobi attempts to get the drop on her, literally, as he phases through the ceiling, and attempts to skewer her with a katana from above. Ororo dodges, and continues to dance around his blade swipes, as he continues to say that the X-Men, and especially her, are nothing but hypocrites. They all know they’re above humanity, but they’re too weak to act on that and have the nerve to judge and get in the way of those attempting to take their rightful place. Especially in Storm’s case, if there was ever a spine behind that ego, she’d make a fearsome queen.

Storm’s eyes widen with rage, as her memory flashes through Emma torturing her years ago, as well as Cyclops and Emma kissing, and the image of the Phoenix.

STORM: “I AM NO QUEEN!”

Reaching out her hand, Storm engulfs Shinobi in a localized snowstorm, freezing him instantly; phasing won’t save him.

STORM: “I am nothing like her.”

Storm is ready to deal with the others next, but she suddenly feels extremely weak. Fabian laughs as he approaches from behind. Whatever she’d like to deny, she absolutely is as arrogant as himself. She was in such a rush to be the big hero, she clearly forgot about what he could do.

CORTEZ: “I cannot shut off the powers of an Omega such as yourself entirely, but I can damn sure make you weak enough for a strengthened Blaze to obliterate you.”

ANDREA: “You’re boosting us as well, yes?”

ANDREAS: “We deserve to–!”

Before the nazi twins can say anything else, Blaze screams as Cortez increases her power level, and the uncontrolled electromagnetic forces she manipulates rip Fenris apart, killing them both.

Storm looks on in horror, unsure of what she can do.

At the Institute, it’s the dead of night, and while Kitty and Magik are asleep peacefully in their beds, most of the other teachers are passed out in the teacher’s lounge or in their classrooms while working. Only Beast is still awake, as he kvetches and mocks Kitty’s order.

BEAST: “I want the Danger Room fixed already!, she says. As if I haven’t been working on it for months. There is nothing wrong with it!”

Hanging upside down in the Danger Room, Hank finishes eating a banana. He’s still hungry though. A peanut butter and banana sandwich before returning to this impossible task sounds good.

Hank heads down the hall but hears strange sounds and banging coming from somewhere. He follows the noise to a closet. He’s hesitant to open it, but when the magnitude of the rumbling increases and it sounds like things are breaking, he feels he has no choice.

Hank screams as he sees Julian and Noriko forcefully making out in the closet, their powers going wild and breaking everything else inside. The two teens of course scream in response to Hank screaming.

JULIAN: “We were just kissing!”

NORIKO: “We are NOT dating!”

JULIAN: “I would never date this loser.”

NORIKO: “And I would never date this jerk.”

JULIAN: “Do NOT tell Sofia!”

NORIKO: “Or anyone!

Hank composes and gives them both a blank stare. If they promise to use protection if this goes further, he’ll forget he saw anything. Noriko and Julian instantly nod. Hank sighs as he walks off, shutting the door behind him. Julian and Noriko immediately resume making out.

In France, the raging Sienna screams in agony as she brings down the building around them, shaking the world. Storm does her best to dodge her attacks, all while keeping an eye on Cortez. She knows that if she can just land a hit on him and knock him out, Blaze will pass out from exhaustion. This becomes more difficult as Cortez pulls out a gun, attempting to aid Blaze in shooting Storm out of the sky.

CORTEZ: “Isn’t this so much more fun than a bank robbery, Sienna?! The hunt may be spoiled, but when we’re done here, we can still go and kill every last X-Man, and all their little–”

Storm, spotting a split-second opportunity, shoots a lightning blast at Cortez. He’s sent flying into rubble. However, he gets up just a moment later, remarking that the collision hurt more than that little taze.

As things get worse and worse, and we see various parts of France throughout the episode being affected by Blaze’s attacks, Storm changes tactics, pleading with Blaze to try and control herself. They agree on nothing, but if mass destruction was what she longed for, she could have achieved that long ago. She must stop, for everyone else, and for herself.

Blaze tries to fight it, slowing down her attacks as her own body cracks, but Cortez won’t be having that, and further boosts her. What follows is overwhelming.

The warehouse is completely destroyed, Shinobi seemingly killed, and Blaze’s blast all but knocks Storm out, with her severely injured and barely clinging to consciousness.

Cortez laughs maniacally as he tells Blaze to finish it. Kill Storm, and wipe out this entire Flatscan civilization!

Blaze screams, Cortez laughs, and Storm struggles to stand…until the former two simply fall over unconscious. The Earth ceases to shake and Storm breathes a sigh of relief.

STORM: “What just…?”

“Not to speak down to you as if you were a student, but I must ask: what were you thinking coming here alone?”

Storm cringes as she pushes herself to stand up. Emma has arrived on the scene.

The next morning at the Institute, the friend group is having breakfast in the cafeteria. Cessily is excitedly telling everyone how she just got the call from the Washingtons, and she’s going to be a background dancer in their next video.

While this is going on, Sofia, who’s still sitting as far away from Julian as she can, lapses into old feelings and sends a small wind over his way to put his stray hair back in place. Julian smiles at her and she smiles back, but when Julian looks back in front of him at Noriko, she shoots him a look that says, “Dude, what the Hell are you doing?”. From the look on Julian’s face, he has no idea either. Laura watches all three of them intently.

Iceman approaches the kids and asks Brian if he can talk to him alone for a minute. Brian says sure, and the two end up in Bobby’s classroom.

Brian starts apologizing to Mr. Drake for yesterday, but Bobby tells him to stop. He can’t deny what Brian and Laura said touched a nerve and, after talking about it with someone else and making him think, maybe he was onto something. He’s still not sure. But he’s sorry he snapped at the kids, “I don’t think Wolverine cares about hearing an apology”, and he’s grateful to Brian for at least reaching out to try and help; he’s a good kid.

Brian thanks him and tells him there’s no need to be sorry. He gets it. And he’s happy to have at least helped Mr. Drake start questioning.

BOBBY: “About that…what made you think that anyway?”

Brian explains to him how his pretty extreme outward heterosexuality is a pretty common sign. Some other little things he picks up too. And also...he may have been projecting a little.

BRIAN: “Real talk? I’ve been a fan since before I even knew I was a Mutant. I love my dad, I wouldn’t trade him for anyone, but…he’s kind of a dork. Didn’t really have anyone immediately around who was “big and tough” to emulate like I wanted, you know? But then, I’d see clips of you online. Strongest guy in the world. Wanted to be just like you.”

BOBBY, laughing to himself, pretending to be humble: “Strongest guy in the world? I don’t know about that, I haven’t fought Magneto or Exodus since I got this powerful, but…sorry, continue.”

Brian goes on to say that part of why he tries to help his friends as much as he can, tried to help Mr. Drake…part of why he went with the Hellions thing…was because he knows he’ll never be strong on his own. End of the day, he’s only an X-Man in Training because he made the right friends. End of the day, they’ll all be X-Men, he won’t be.

BRIAN: “You said it yourself. Tagging isn’t much of an X-Man power.”

Bobby shakes his head. He thinks Brian misunderstands a few things. He wasn’t ALWAYS an Omega. Back when he was Brian’s age, he was considered the weakling of the original 5 X-Men. The dumb little brother who everyone needed to protect. How was throwing snowballs and tripping people on slippery roads supposed to make a real difference?

BOBBY: “There may be a lot more power inside you than you realize. And even if there isn’t? There are all kinds of ways the X-Men could use someone with a power like yours. You’ve got potential. And if the rest of the X-Men didn’t think so, they would have swapped you out for someone else.”

Brian thanks him. He’ll keep all that in mind. He should get back to his friends now though. But hey, maybe if he wants to start exploring his potential queerness for real, he’d want to come with him and Quentin to Jumbo Carnation’s upcoming fashion show?

BOBBY: “HA! No. Nope. Appreciate the offer, but I am definitely not ready for something like that.”

Brian gets it and the two fist bump.

In the office, several of the teachers haven’t shown up for their classes, and she can’t reach them on their phones or communicators. She has no idea what’s going on.

In the corner, Magik laughs. Really? Does the girl genius have no idea?

MAGIK: “KItty, you overworked your minions all night! They’re probably all exhausted and passed out!”

KITTY: “They’re all superheroes, I thought they could handle it! Wait, if you knew this would happen, why did you tell me to do this?!”

MAGIK: “Duh, because I’m a queen with years of experience, and when you end up taking this place over for real, you should know what you’re doing. Lessons like this are necessary.” Illyana boops Kitty’s nose. “You’re welcome.”

As Magik shuts her eyes and smugly waits for an apology, Kitty growls and jumps at her, phasing them both through the floor. Magik just laughs.

In the rubble of the destroyed warehouse, Storm demands Emma not to take one step closer and explain what’s going on here. Emma sighs that Ororo never can just thank her. Not long ago, they received a report from SHIELD that Domino had been apprehended after being caught working for Fabian. Hating to see a former X-Man in human custody, she arranged a deal for her. She’d pull strings to get her out, in exchange for information that would result in Cortez’s capture. She convinced her to go along with it, and so she came out here to apprehend him, dragging Scott along for a bit of fun. She didn’t want his help though.

EMMA: “For me, facing the Upstarts alone was personal. Why would you not seek out our aid? And why did you follow us at all?”

Storm cools off and sighs before explaining that she didn’t trust them. She hasn’t ever trusted Emma, of course, but she sensed something especially off with her earlier. She was concerned with what she was planning on doing, both WHILE here, and TO Scott.

Emma rolls her neck and concedes she can’t entirely blame her. For any of it. She can see how her relationship with Scott may seem suspicious in light of everything, but all it is is that she’s never had someone she cared for in such a way. She’s not sure she likes how that feels, but she knows she wants to keep him close. And what she sensed earlier was likely her murderous intent. She freely admits she was not planning on allowing any of the Upstarts to survive.

EMMA: “I was a monster in the past. Towards you, especially. I understand your hate. And I cannot deny, that treatment of you…came from jealousy.”

Storm doesn’t buy THAT at all, an amused smirk on her face. Emma knows how ridiculous and embarrassing it sounds, but it’s true. After Jean’s death, they were the two most powerful women in the world. But no matter her bluster, Emma knew she was a distant second to Ororo. That was why she hated her so much.

Ororo smiles and questions what has Emma opening up like this, saying all these pretty words she’d never say. Emma answers that, frankly, this feud between them had become exhausting. And it’s reaching a point where it’s putting their lives in danger. She just wants it put to bed.

Storm looks at Emma for a few moments.

STORM: “Once again, the opportunity to betray us was open to you. And once again, you prove yourself an ally. So long as we’re sharing things we never would, and you are humbling yourself, perhaps I have been too harsh with you. You will always be a monster in my eyes. That cannot be changed. But I can try and understand that that isn’t who you really are. Not anymore.”

EMMA: “I’m certainly not asking for us to be friends so that sounds like a nice start.”

Emma reaches out a hand, and Ororo shakes it.

STORM: “You may be a distant #2, but we should still be able to achieve a great deal cooperating with one another.”

EMMA: “Oh, don’t make this a whole thing, goddess.”

Emma asks if Ororo would care for a room in the hotel, but Storm thinks she’ll just be heading up. She left Kitty in charge and she’s not sure she thought that one through. Emma tells her it’s probably fine; Ororo raised her well.

With smiles on their faces, Ororo starts flying away from Emma, as the usual episode wrapup music kicks in…

…only for it to be cut off, as, on a close-up of an evil smirk on Emma’s face, she whispers, “Finally”.

With a psychic blast, Emma shoots Ororo out of the sky. Storm is still conscious, but she’s completely paralyzed. Emma snickers as she floats over to her.

EMMA: “Oh Storm. Always so arrogant. Of course “humbling” myself before the goddess was what would finally make you drop your guard. I should have seen it sooner.” She bends down and whispers in Storm’s ear. “You thought I was planning to betray the X-Men? You thought I was trying to corrupt Cyclops? You didn’t believe that I’d ever truly changed? Congratulations wind witch: you were right.”

Emma laughs manically as Ororo’s eyes fill with fear and rage.

#new x-men: the animated series #new x-men #Academy X #Scott Summers #Emma Frost #Ororo Munroe #Kitty Pryde #Roberto Da Costa #Laura Kinney #Bobby Drake #Sofia Mantega #julian keller #noriko ashida #sooraya qadir #cessily kincaid #brian cruz #roxanne washington #the stepford cuckoos

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chevvy-yates · 2 years ago

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How about beloved Ryder!

Oh, I'm always ready to talk about my black sheep of the family <3 Since I saw no number, I'll just do all of them, so this is probably going to be super long. I'll set a cut somewhere.

01. Full name:

Ryder's full name is Gilbert von Scharfenberg. He hates his real name for a good reason: his family – wealthy pure German Corpo blood. Basically no one knows that he's a Scharfenberg either – except for Vijay, because he was the one who deleted all of Ryder's data soon after he left his old life behind. So, basically if you scan him it would only show 'Ryder' and nothing else (I still write it out here on tblr completely bc it sounds so damn good <3). As soon as the family moved to the NUSA, Ry started calling himself 'Ryder' using it as his nickname from now on. It comes from the German surname 'Reiter' (rider, horseman), which was his first love's surname (who sadly died, getting shot by a Cyberpsycho during a rave in a club in Berlin).

02. Best friend:

Ryder's bestie is Vijay Steyr. They know each other since 2071. Vijay is the guy who helped Ryder out of his old life (mentioned above). They didn't met in person back then but their paths crossed a while later again: they ran into each other at a Depeche Mode party, talked, became buddies, then also lovers shortly after. The relationship lasted about a year and they parted for reasons everyone understood and accepted. Ryder rarely saw V the following year, because he needed a bit time and was busy with his own life/job, but Vijay eventually began to contact him again in 2074 when he got into buisness with Jackie doing merc jobs. They needed someone on the front and Ryder was the best guy Vijay could think of since he has mantis blades and a good know how about Militech and Corpo things as well. After Jackie died on a secret job neither V nor Ry knew about, the bond between the two got stronger again and today (2077/78) they are best friends. If you listen to their talking you could also say they sound like an old married couple. Ryder would protect V with his own life and it's vice versa. Vijay was there for him in his worst times, helped him to settle into his new 'street kid' life and most of all: pep talked Ry all the time tearing that wall down he had built up for years. Vijay is defnitely the reason why Ryder feels content with himself and smiles so often now.

03. Sexuality:

Ryder is openly gay. He doesn't look a lot like one in the first place, but he is. He's always been gay because he never had any sexual interest in women since he can think. Only the opposite gender doesn't seem to notice and he had to refuse a lot of times giving him a hard time to express it in words. He also feels kinda awkward when a woman shows a bit more affection towards him than the usual (he's better with friends after a while), so forgive him for behaving like a douchebag. Sadly he couldn't live out his sexuality for many years because of his family. But since he got away he was finally free to do what he wanted. He's no go-getter though. It's the contrary – he's too shy to make the first move. And that's probably why he's been single a long while as well after the relationship with V (who's the go-getter ofc).

04. Favorite color:

Ryder loves black. He knows there are people who don't accept black as a color. For that phrase he's got another answer: purple and green. Besides black, it's these colors he loves (he just won't wear anything purple nor green). Purple like amethysts he collects and (dark) green like the mysterious German forests he misses a lot.

The rest is under the cut for those who are interested in reading more about him. Beware, it really has gotten long!

05. Relationship status:

Ryder is off the single market. After I created him back in Sep 2022, I already had Vijay flirting with @nervouswizardcycle's Arki (<3), so my original idea of V and Ry together couldn't last and was made into a backstory part instead since I still like that ship that formed in my head when Ryder was only an idea. However, I couldn't imagine him with any official npc and looking for some possible other oc over here didn't bring me much further, and also with no one making a real move either (I waited for it like Ryder would do), I decided just a few weeks back that my boy shouldn't be lonely for so long. It made me sad having to look at him knowing his profile still said 'single', so I sat down and created another oc for him: So, yes! His love interest is Thyjs De Wit.

06. Ideal mate:

Ryder's ideal mate is @nervouswizardcycle's Arki. Arki turns out to be his best gay buddy. There's just ideas existing right now but I'm loving it! The two literally don't like each other at first — well it's more Ryder who has a grudge against Arki, but he will find out soon enough that the two are much alike in many things I don't wanna name now bc it could be possible spoilers for some future fanfiction. However, Arki will be a good mate for Ryder: giving tips in training for battle, trying to control his anger, but also the guy to go shopping with (bc Arki is fashionista, baby!). And the two may have many evenings where they get drunk, laughing over stupid anti-jokes (where V just shakes his head and Thyjs also doesn't find it laughable) and watching a shit ton of anime if they don't do stupid stuff in the city. They are both Scorpios and this is a certain vibe you can't turn off easily once they come together.

07. Turn-ons:

Bottom lip biting. It seriously turns Ryder on when you go from casual busses to biting down onto his bottom lip. He sees that as an invitation to get more passionated. Hard lollipops. The meaty kind. He likes a man's best piece a lot. Especially when they have a beautiful shape and tint. Loud, hard rave beats. Eespecially when it has some naughty lyrics it kind of turns him on. If the right person is with him, this may be a chance for making out on the dancefloor, vanishing into a darkroom or just go somewhere else to get dirty.

08. Favorite food:

Pistachio ice cream. In generall he loves pistachios: salted or not, in combination with chocolate, ice cream – everything pistachio – give it to him. You'll make him be a happy pistachio.

09. Crushes:

Thjys De Wit. He's going to crush on him the first time he meets that Dutch pale soldier boy — Thyjs literally zapped him. There's a lot of pining from Ryder's side. Vijay, however will notice and tries to encourage him to make the first move since Thyjs is not a go-getter either (and has to cope with his own feelings for Ry as well at first). It's gonna be interesting. Don't wanna tell too much, though.

10. Favorite music:

Ryder is a true Raver. <3 He lives for hard and dark techno beats. There's nothing better than that ever enduring repeating bass under his feat. It keeps him going, helps him to vent off his never ending anger for a while, keeps the beast within at bay, while he moves to those amazing loud eletronic beats combined with unreal but also beautiful accompaning melodies. Ryder also listens to Industrial and New (German) Wave.

11. Biggest fear:

His biggest is facing his superior again. He fears nothing more than is father: Wilhelm von Scharfenberg — now CEO of Militech HQ in Night City. There is another one: He's afraid of losing control over the beast within him completely, hurting those close to him. He doesn't know where it came from, it was there one day, accompanying him ever since. It lusts for blood mostly so the chance it takes over in a heavy fight during a job is pretty high. Once he's in a killstreak for too long, he's unable to stop and literally goes berserk. Therfore he has asked his best friend Vijay to take control and stop him if the situation gets tricky. He's got a special mod installed that allows Vijay to hack into Ryder's Berserk Operating System making him able to reset it since the beast seems to feed heavily from this system. Ryder's Mantis Blades will receive an order to retract and he gets unconscious for a short amount of time to make sure he's gonna be stopped. If that case happens and the situation is tricky, someone must be right there to protect Ryder for that time since he will be unable to defend himself. Before every job V double checks the mod and renews the codes to make sure everything works. Ryder isn't exactly proud to always leave a mess of blood puddles, organs and dead bodies behind. It scares him as well since it has gotten worser over time. It's his greatest wish that the beast within vanishes one day the same way like it showed up.

12. Biggest fantasy:

To fly to the moon. Ryder loves space and the universe since he was a small boy. He dreamed to be a space pilot one day, flying people or cargo to the moon. He would love to walk on it as well, feel the lack of gravitiy when he jumps. The moon is very fascinating to him. He's amazed by the surface, all the pattern the craters made, the grey tones. And he very much would love to see how earth looks seen from up there. If you suspected something sexual instead: To have hot, dirty, greasy sex in a tank. Specifially in a retro WWII model.

13. Bad habits:

Ryder has a obsessive-compulsive disorder. He sees himself forced to align everything neatly and symmetrically. He will do it all the time: at home, during shopping, sitting at the table in the Afterlife, aligning billard balls in the Coyjote Cojo, staple Vijay's vinyls in his apartment (he even tidies up V's apartment at times bc Vijay is a bit chaotic). His own apartment is clean and simple, every bottle in the shelf faces with the ettiket, books are placed ordely and even pillows on his bed sit how they should and so on. Besides that Ry is still super fidgety. He can't sit still. It mainly has to do with background music everywhere, so he's bobbing e.g. his leg all the time. But he also constantly needs to play around with something in his hands. He can't sit still longer than five minutes and then repositions. The only times he's not fidgety is when he's sleepy or in fact sleeping. Once he falls asleep he likely won't turn around much and stay in the position he feell asleep in.

14. Biggest regret:

The missed oportunity to run away earlier. His decicion to leave his Corpo life happend when he was already 21. If he had left earlier, he would probably live in Italy now together with Tommy Reiter, his first love, who would probably still be alive as well. Tommy wanted to go away with him, but Ryder was too scared to do it back then, still being a teen.

15. Best kept secrets:

That he's Corpo – a von Scharfenberg. As already mentioned, only Vijay knows about that. Ryder did literally everything for not looking like a Corpo anymore: changed visually completely with adding cyberware, new eyes, getting tattoos including scarifications (to cover own scars), changed his hairstlye, grew a messy beard, trained like a mad-man to gain some muscles for not having to watch the thin useless Corpo boy in the mirror he once was. Starting the life of a so called street kid. His Corpo attitude sadly comes trough at times (and can be extremely helpful for some missions as well). In some cases he sees himself on the high horse thinking he's better than anyone else (but Vijay reminds him of that).

16. Last thought:

Maybe 'Bitte ein Bit'? Idk man, but I have the feeling that Ryder's last thought ever will definitely have something to do with beer.

17. Worst romantic experience:

When he decided to try out bottoming for once in his life. It was a good experience at first but it ended with something unexpected: receiving an exceptionally good fuck that caused him to feel like a supernova seeing stars all over brought some negative connotaion with it: he entirely lost control over his body making him have his mantis blades spring out ready for action. Nobody died though, but it was Vijay who topped him and V has a huge trauma concerning blades … So once both finally relized what actually happened, Vijay got off and fell into a shock he was unable to explain to him. And Ryder ofc was shocked by the thought that he can lose control that hard by just getting railed (the beast within was just evolving and a minor problem btw). The situation could have turned out much worse that night. And this situation is also the cause for their break-up in the end, with both really feeling bad about it: Vijay because he wasn't able to tell him why and Ryder for losing control that hard in such a situation. Since then Ryder never bottomed again, because he can't allow himself to let it happen again.

18. Biggest insecurity:

Ryder has had a lot of insecurities — still has. His biggest besides him not being able to live up to his father's Corpo ideals is probably that he (still) feels he is/was not good enough for anything or anybody. This situation started early in his childhood and reached the worst high as soon as he had to start working at Militech unable to do anything right (he hated this work and it wasn't what he wanted to do), nonetheless he tried hard to make his superior satisfied, but it was quite the contrary in the end. He was treated by his family like ballast they had to carry through, got bullied by co-workers and therefore fell into a huge hole of depression. It took him a long time (and quiet a lot of Vijay's patience) to accept that he's good enough in what he does. Vijay told Ryder more than once, that he is valued, that he is thankfull for Ry's support, and that people appreciate him and that he is a good person. He still does and it is impotant to reward Ryder constantly with nice and cheering words otherwise he's prone to worry about it again. Ryder still has a lot of trust issues towards new people to this day.

19. Weapon of choice:

answered here.

20. Role Model:

Vijay of course. Ryder looks up a lot to his best friend. He wishes he could be more like him. Capable of leading, always having an answer to everything, understand the realm of netrunning, his entire positive character and warm personality, looking forward and not back, the ability to stay friendly towards literally everyone (Vijay is good in hiding his disgust for someone if he want's to, but most of the time he lets people know when he doesn't like them).

#ask meme #oc asks #thank you @breezypunk <3 #hahahahaha soooo loooonng #long post #about: ryder von scharfenberg #I just can't stop talking about him ever sicne I build out his story and character sorry not sorry aaaahh #also helped me to finally started writing out more #of the next part (2070s backstory)

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knightotoc · 10 months ago

Photo

The artist is Trina Schart Hyman, an incredible and prolific talent who passed away in 2004. You can find a ton of tributes to her online from other illustrators and organizations, like the children's literary magazine Cricket, which she helped create. She illustrated over 150 books, won the Caldecott Medal and Honors, and helped other artists land gigs for decades. She was also gay, hilarious, and one of the first white children's book illustrators to include diverse characters.

"You have to be so motivated that you have to want to draw so badly that it’s like taking away your oxygen not to draw. It has to be so much a part of your expression and your personality that you cannot live without it. You can’t go for more than two days without drawing. I mean, it is that basic a need for me."

"[As a child,] I was too imaginative and sensitive. I used to burst into tears at the slightest thing and I was terrified, of people especially. I had trouble, I think, separating reality and fantasy. I learned to read early and I loved to read and I just lived in storybooks and in pictures. That was more real to me than the world. And, in a way, it still is."

"For the past thirty years I've lived in a big old farmhouse in northwestern New Hampshire. Some part of it always needs fixing -- there's always a room falling off or a roof caving in -- but to me it is home. Mostly there are walls and walls of books that hold it up and keep out the cold. I live here with my partner, Jean, who helps me keep it all going, and our two dogs, two cats, and five sheep. Jean is a teacher and the director of a little school where kids actually have fun learning."

[To fellow illustrator Jim Arnosky] "I want a page of hands. You need to learn to draw hands."

[To Arnosky, who lived in a rural Pennsylvia cabin with his pregnant wife and kid] "I’m giving you this cover assignment on one condition: that you get water put in that cabin."

[To author Eric Kimmel] "Why is it that whenever someone writes a story about knights, ladies, and dragons, they send this shit to me?"

[To a Caldecott commitee organizer who asked if she enjoyed the dinner at the ceremony] "Oh, yes. Especially the dessert. It looked like a large chocolate penis."

[To Kimmel] "Listen, Eric. I know this is scary for you now. It’s really nothing in the big scheme of things. Do you want to know what’s going to happen? We live. We die. And in the middle we have some good times and some bad times. That’s your story. That’s my story. That’s the story of everybody who ever lived and whoever is going to live. You just hope that when the end comes, it will be quick and won’t be too painful.

"As for what you just told me, it will work itself out. The best result you’re hoping for probably won’t happen. But neither will the worst. It will end up somewhere in the middle. It’s all about money anyway, which is not that big a deal. You’ll write a check and that will be the end of it. Life moves on and so will you. I promise that the next time we get together we’ll have a drink and laugh about it.

"There’s one more thing I want you to remember while you’re going through it all. Pills help. So does booze. And so do friends. So use them."

[On the Dykes on Bikes at a mid-90s Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco, to Kimmel] "Did you see that, Eric? There are a lot of us."

“Kazul’s not my dragon.“ Cimorene said sharply. “I’m her princess. You’ll never have any luck dealing with dragons if you don’t get these things straight.”

Dealing With Dragons - Patricia C. Wrede

#trina schart hyman #dealing with dragons #long post #shes one of my faves

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sapphicwhxre · 4 years ago

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God hates gays and I do too. That's not homophobia it's just following the word of god

i would normally block you or tell you to shut up, but as someone who believes in christianity ─ this is completely wrong and it’s really sad that some people think this way. i know this is way different from my normal blog content but i want to clear this up the best way i can.

the bible does NOT say to hate gays. it does say. . .

1. that God equates hatred of another person to murder

“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” John 3:15

“But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. ” John 2:11

“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” John 4:19-21

by your logic (following the word of God), you’ve already failed to do that. i’ve actually read the whole thing, which not a lot of people who pull things out of their ass have, and never once does it say to hate gay people or to hate anyone in general. the only thing it says to hate or that God hates is Satan and evil. it says here multiple times in the verses i just provided that hatred is what’s wrong and that you can’t call yourself someone who follows him if you hate people.

2. that God died for ALL sins and ALL sins are forgiven

so, just entertaining that homosexuality is a sin (which i don’t believe it is), God says he died for ALL sins. the most famous verse of the bible specifically says:

“For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

it says he loved the world. not just the straights, not just the white people, not just the people named biblically. none of that. it says he LOVED THE WORLD. that includes everyone, no matter what they’ve done. even if people choose not to believe in him, he doesn’t hate them. he still loves them and he still died for them. that doesn’t sound like hatred to me in the slightest. also going to add these:

“He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” Galatians 3:13

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” Peter 3:13

read them again and again and each time it’ll directly contradict what you said. and i could go on about the apostle Paul who used to BEAT and MURDER christians for their faith ─ he became one of the greatest followers of him AND died in his name. but i’m sure you know that story since you follow the word.

3. to treat others with kindness

treat everyone the way you would want to be treated, no matter who they are.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Leviticus 9:18

“And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You have heard that it is said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:40-43

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Luke 6:27

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great.” Luke 6:35

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.” Matthew 7:12

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

it even addresses what you said multiple times ─ it says don’t hate your enemies. it says to love them and even wish them the best.

4. that everyone is loved by him and created in his image

bringing up John 3:16 again because “For God so loved the world.” he loved everyone.

“I will praise [God] because I have been fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalms 139:13-14

it calls people fearfully and wonderfully made. this was David, who God actually called a man after his own heart. and back to the whole died for every sin thing, David was a horrible person at one point. he slept with another man’s wife and then had the guy killed because he felt so guilty about it. he wasn’t a saint and God still called him a man after his own heart. king david is one of the best known followers of God in the bible and he did awful things. God still loved him and if he can love an adulterer and murderer, why the hell can’t he love a gay person? someone who’s just living and loving who they want?

“God created man in his own image.” Genesis 1:27

there. that one. lgbtq+ people were created in God’s image. they aren’t mistakes or sinners, they are created in his image, fearfully and wonderfully made.

5. that Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed because of its sins

homophobes loveeee to bring up how sodom and gomorrah was destroyed for its homosexuality. but i’ve read the whole thing and it doesn’t say that was why. it mentions that there was a large homosexual population but let’s go over why it was actually destroyed and how they lost their second chance.

“Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.” Genesis 13:13

notice how it didn’t say “the men of Sodom were gay and that was wrong.”

“But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all the people from every quarter. And they called unto Lot, and said unto him: ‘Where are the men that came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them carnally.’” Genesis 19:4-5

Lot begged for God to give the city a second chance and he did, he sent two angels. this is what happened and this is the proof that they were destroyed because of their sin. not because they were gay, it was because they all banged on the door asking to get to rape these strangers. sexuality wasn’t the problem, it was their perverted and awful actions that had them long gone.

6. that people who falsely preach are dogs and antichrists

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.” John 4:1-6

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8

“Beware of false prophets, for they come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:15

“Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.” Philippians 3:2

anyone who preaches falsely ─ or in other words, says things that aren’t true like ‘God hates gays’ ─ is considered accursed, a dog, and an antichrist.

everything i said here came from the “word of God” that YOU said you follow. so sit down, anon.

quick disclaimer: i’m not attacking any atheists/any other religions by posting this. i’m just showing this anon and anyone else who believes in God what the bible says about supposedly hating gays. you have the right to believe in whatever you want to be respected.

#tw homophobia

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mrs-bartowski · 4 years ago

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My dudes. My guys. My pals.

I’m about 10 seconds away from going feral.

So, I’m the kind of unfortunate chump whose brain requires continuity. Meaning, when I started thirst watching Supergirl during its mid-season-2 hiatus and came across the realization that it had crossovers with all the other arrowverse shows, my brain tasked me with watching them all. I won’t put you through a recount of this arduous feat, but it does leave me with the certain advantage of having immediate and full-contextual access to any parallels between supercorp and canon CW DCEU couples.

Normally, this is a good thing, because it’s just another crumb to obsess over. But I just finished watching Legends 6x02 and...I. AM. FUMING.

I literally don’t even know where to start, but know that if you’ve made it this far you’re in for a long ride because my entire being is in Scream mode right now and I’m not sure I��ll be able to stop typing until it passes.

OKAY. So.

Meet Sara Lance (lol jk y’all thirsty gays know who she is I mean look at this flawless human)

Next, meet her ******* Ava Sharpe (who is literally the definition of white European beauty standards-based perfection because she’s a clone from the future)

And finally, meet Gary Green. He’s...well, he’s Gary.

Sara started out on Arrow and is now the captain of the Legends. Ava was the director of the Time Bureau and Gary was an agent, and now they are also members of the Legends. Sara has been there (and been the show’s effective lead) since season 1. Ava and Gary both came in at the beginning of season 3.

Gary is (as pictured) an absolute fool, but he is also kind of regarded as the one the Legends Must Protecc. The whole team is considered a family, and, while they are not necessarily labeled as best friends, Gary has been Ava’s longest and most loyal companion, and Sara has a way of adopting him because she’s the best equipped to keep him out of trouble.

So, why is all of this relevant to why I want to go feral? Because it sounds a bit familiar, yes? Member of the team that is somewhat a black sheep, doesn’t get included fully or all the time but often comes in with save-the day type shit (even though with Gary it’s more of a distraction than a save because he’s a mess of a man). Close friend to one of our two main heroes and, subsequently, that hero’s closest companion puts them at the top of their Protecc list. Has little faith in his relationships with the team so he is constantly going out of his way to help in whatever way he can to prove his usefulness. And so on and so forth.

Well, 6x01 marks exactly 3 years since Gary’s first appearance, and what did we find out in that episode? That Gary is an alien. And not just any alien - an alien who was sent (by the woman he was traded to) to get close to Sara because she has been labeled as one of the world’s most dangerous creatures. Not to mention, his species of alien feeds on humans (not him of course, he’s reformed, but nonetheless not a friendly species). And we find out all of this because he and his master abduct her.

Sara finds out in person while Ava and the rest of the Legends solve the mystery on their own. Now, I’ve drawn a lot of comparisons between Lena and Gary to make a point about the time frame and nature of their relationships, but let’s take a look at Sara, shall we? For starters, she’s been “dead” either literally or supposedly about...what, 15 times now? If you think that’s an exaggeration, here’s the link to her fan wiki which says she’s been presumed dead 10 times and actually dead 5. The sg writers tried to sell season 5 as “the fight for Lena’s soul” but Sara LITERALLY LOST HER SOUL when she got resurrected in the Lazarus pit. 90% of Sara’s character development has been based on her certainty that she is too close to death and evil and destruction (getting possessed by a demon, perhaps, had something to do with this?). She was an actual literal assassin and she has left civilization out of anger and pain to go back to that life once before.

She has always believed that she is too dangerous to have real love or relationships or friends. And now she has found and built and led this family through time and space and she’s done so with this goofball by her side that is endearingly attached to the love of her life. So, how does she react when she finds out Gary is an alien? Well, clearly, she goes down a dark path, right? She cries and screams and talks about betrayal because she’s had such a hard time with feeling like she only ever puts the people she loves in danger and now here she is finding out there’s been a human-eating alien in her family for three years that was tasked with observing her and keeping her in check because she is exactly that dangerous?

Yeah...try again. This is how Sara reacts:

youtube

And then there's another scene that apparently no one even bothered to put on YouTube where you can see the pain in Sara's eyes when she asks him “why me?” You can see how hurt she is that after 3 years she’s just finding out that their friendships is based on lies and that she has trouble keeping her faith in it. But in both of these instances where are the “crocodile tears?” Where are the fearful, shaky confessions from Gary about his fear of losing the only people who have ever really loved or cared about him and desperate justifications about how he just wanted to protect them and keep them in the dark so his master didn’t come after them? Where is the outrage from Sara about how everything Gary has reassured her about over the past three years when she was scared to let the damaged-soul assassin inside of her out was a lie and he doesn’t get to tell her who or what she is again? Where is the determination from Ava to make Gary pay for not only lying for three years but for ABDUCTING THE LOVE OF HER LIFE TO HAND OVER TO A FLESH-EATING ALIEN??????

Nowhere. Those things...they’re nowhere. There’s anger. There’s pain. There’s doubt and heartbreak and fury. There’s betrayal and helplessness and desperation. But there is no scene with Sara standing on a balcony and Gary looking up at her longingly because he wants to talk to her about the secret and he knows it will change everything between them. There is no scene with Sara and Ava lamenting over what this means for Gary and the team and the world because he’s no longer the person they knew. There are no romantically-scored scenes of them looking teary-eyed at the pictures they took together or reassurances that the others’ intentions are good and trustworthy now that the truth is out in the open. There is nothing to imply that the last several years of friendship are now entirely suspect (damaged, frayed, clouded, maybe, but definitely not voided) because Gary kept this secret to protect them. And Gary isn’t made to feel obscenely guilty or shameful because his intentions were good and he only did what he felt he had to. But most of all, the world doesn’t feel like it’s going to end.

And I’m not talking about we’re now scared Gary will take his master’s side or Sara will suddenly decide that she never wants an alien to fool her or hurt her again so she’s going to make sure he doesn’t have the choice. I’m just talking about the way they address each other. There are no sobbing tears or laments over the biggest mistakes of their lives - even though it’s quite possible Gary could see this as his. There are no screaming matches over betrayal and mistrust and years of doubt and confusion. There will be no episode dedicated to going back and seeing what could have happened - what kind of danger they could have avoided from the alien(s) controlling Gary - had he told them the truth sooner because that’s the only way to save him and the world. There will be no episode where he has to single-handedly save them multiple times as some example of redemption. There will be no adamant looks and declarations about how the team knows his intentions were good and they forgive him. There won’t be any of that. Because Sara is not in love with Gary. And Ava is not in love with Gary. And Gary is not in love with either Sara or Ava. They’re just close friends. Family. Loved ones who mean a lot to each other but whose betrayal and seeds of doubt don’t bring on emotions whose force and ferocity could be acceptable for finding out the apocalypse is nigh.

I have many, many more feelings about this but right now I’m going to go write things that will make me feel better and not things that make me want to gather every writer from every CW show in a line and run down the line smacking them all in the face while the Legends writers watch and cheer. But I’m fuming. THIS is what it looks like when a years-long, heavily weighted lie is revealed between close friends/family. So, in conclusion, Supercorp endgame or die.

#supercorp #supercorp endgame #cw supergirl #supergirl #the cw #the cw network #legends of tomorrow #avalance #gary green #ava sharpe #sara lance #kara danvers #lena luthor #legends of tomorrow spoilers #Youtube

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looney-mooney · 3 years ago

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Thinking about making an au where Sam and Max are Haru’s distant, crazy gay American uncles who she hasn’t thought about in a while. Until she starts seriously dating Legosi, after which she’s like “maybe I should contact Uncle Max, he’s been married to a vigilante canine for ages”

Details for the Insane Beastars/Sam and Max au under the cut

Max of course DEMANDS to see his niece and her crazy new wolf boyfriend, so they end up going on a trip to the Beastars version of New York City. Louis ends up going along and paying for the trip, because he was already headed over for a business deal so they might as well.

The Beastars version of New York City is obviously culturally different from the Beastars version of Japan, and Legosi ends up getting a new perspective (as he always does.) There are some bugs who can actually talk here (???), and meat isn’t considered taboo in the same way. Most people sign up to be meat donors in their driver’s licenses, because there’s a tax incentive. This move has considerably lessened the strain between Herbivores and Carnivores, so though there’s still definitely some tension between the two groups, those who vehemently insist that carnivores and herbivores shouldn’t interact or date or anything are generally considered right-wing bigots. Most people don’t even really see a separation anymore - carnivores can be meat donors too, and some herbivores here eat meat sometimes. Most Americans are just omnivores.

Systematic racism is still a thing, obviously, because America just Sucks Like That, but I’m White so I’m not even gonna attempt to map out the History of American Racism with Furries. Just know that most people in America have at least a little bit of mixed ancestry, and Legosi probably thinks that’s cool and fascinating while everyone else is like “you seriously didn’t know about the Great American Melting Pot? Bruh have you been living under a rock”

Max is part piranha and no I am not elaborating

They also don’t have permanent Beastars in the States. The closest thing they have to a Beastar is the President, which in this world is… basically the American Beastar. I’m having this be the case mostly so that President Max still fits in with the Beastars Lore ™

Geek exists, and is just a bit younger than Haru and Legosi. She’s probably in high school, but taking college classes at the same time, because Geek’s just. Like That. She’s probably a monkey. Haru isn’t sure what she thinks about Geek at first, but then they start talking and plotting mutant botany projects together and Haru decides that this is her favorite cousin actually

I think Sybil should be at least part fox. Maybe even kitsune-coded, since she changes careers so often? Doctor Mama Bosco’s probably either a dog or a sheep, maybe a sheepdog hybrid? Whatever she is, she started her cloning experiments with insects, which is how Sal and the other talking insects in New York came to exist. Bosco’s probably one of those experimental spider goats or something. The Stinkys are carnivorous seafolk of some sort, originally from the Hudson River but migrated to Land when the river got too polluted for their ancestors to keep living there exclusively. Grandpa Stinky was probably fascinated by land culture and particularly cooking as a young sea-land immigrant, and just messed with the art of cooking as much as possible, which led to the insane food he sells at his diner. I am not going to attempt to assign Abraham Lincoln a fursona.

Legosi spends a good chunk of the trip trying to impress Sam and Max, because these people are members of Haru’s Family and he wants them to like him, but then Legosi ends up star-struck by how well Haru’s uncles work together. He’s never seen partners quite like them in action before, and tries to get them to teach him. But these guys aren’t shonen anime mentors, they’re Sam and Max, so it becomes more of a “hey back off buddy just be yourself and maybe trust your partners a little bit more”

Max in particular really tears Legosi a new one, really gives him a nice good shovel talk. Like, Max likes the kid, sure. Legosi’s the BEST kinda crazy and also a really sweet guy and he seems to care about his niece a lot. But he’s really, REALLY annoyed by how much Legosi shuts Haru out of his life. Like, she’s Max’s kin, she’d be able to take care of herself, she doesn’t need you to protect her to the point of reverence, she needs you to let her in. And not just sexually! Though he has some health class tips and condoms if they wanna do that, cuz he’s the cool uncle. But if you wanna be her partner, you have to RESPECT her, kapiche? Stop treating her like some damsel in distress, she’s tougher than you think. I will end you if you don’t stop infantilizing her.

Sam and Max teach Haru how to fight at some point, because no relative of theirs is gonna go through life not knowing how to defend themselves! Max specifically teaches Haru how to use her hammerspace, and now nobody is safe from her wrath. They also taught her how to use a gun, while scolding Louis for never teaching her this incredibly important life skill! For shame.

Imagine Haru with a gun. The power she would wield. No wonder Paru nerfed her

Speaking of Louis, I’m sure he gets involved in the misadventure somehow, probably by getting accidentally tangled with the villain’s plot during his business deal. I’m sure it’s tangled up in the reveal that Mama Bosco was involved with the anthropomorphic insects, just cuz that’s the biggest and newest difference between these two cultures, and might also somehow nod to the systematic racism in America and how fucked up that is.

Might also address how capitalism is the root of all evil, and how the pressure to conform to capitalism in order to maintain a position of power in his attempts to make the world a better place while also giving Legosi and Haru the space to have their own relationship (while also forcing himself to maintain the charade of a heteronormative arranged marriage with someone he isn’t even remotely attracted to) has been slowly but ruthlessly breaking Louis in a terrible cycle, and how he’s spent so much of his life hiding behind masks that he doesn’t even know who he is anymore. And now he’s in a cage again, but this time he put himself there, with his own actions. And Legosi has to tell him that he doesn’t have to pretend all the time, that he’s his best friend and he wants to help. That he and Haru both love him, and they want him in their lives.

The whole adventure probably ends with Haru saving her boy’s butts, and ruthlessly affirming what Legosi just said. Demanding that they BOTH stop hiding from her, and BOTH stop trying to “protect” her. That she NEEDS them, and she wants them to need her. That they don’t have to be Beastars to be PARTNERS.

And then the whole family (yes I’m including Louis and Legosi in this family) beats the villains up and goes out for a celebratory meal or something IDK how to end things

#sam and max #beastars #long post #meta #au #legosi #Haru #Louis #legoharu #lougoharu #lougoshi #darla gugenheek #sam and max telltale #looney mooney rants #this went from ‘’what if Max was Haru’s crazy gay uncle’’ to an all-out hurt-comfort fix-it au huh #freelance beastars au

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omg-im-such-a-masochist · 4 years ago

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SECOND CHANCE

Prompt: Just some good old fluff with Finny boy

Word Count: Long, bitch! So fucking long

Pairings: Finn Bálor x Reader

Warnings: Angst, fluff, smut (implied)

Editor: @thenightmareismyreality

Tag: @theworldofotps , @new-zealand-chic , @sassymox , @waywardwrestlewritingwaif , @yungbludjazz360 , @starwithaheart

Notes: Found this in an old file (wrote this about two years ago, maybe?) But I kinda like this little story ❤️ If you’d like to check out my previous works, you can find them on my Masterlist 😉

A deep sigh of relief left my lips as I brushed my damp hair. I heard a commotion in the living room, and began to dread the potential fight I would have to break up between a four and six year-old over a remote control.

“Mommy, mommy, mommy!” Caleb screamed in excitement, while bursting through my bedroom door like a maniac

“You’ll never believe who’s downstairs with us” He jumped with a cheeky smile

“Cal, who’s downstairs?” I ask worryingly, instinctively reaching for the gun that I kept in my nightstand

Caleb laughed and ran downstairs again.

As a homicide detective, my cop instincts combined with my motherly instincts took over me and I ran to the living room in only a tank top and panties, with my gun already aimed to shoot.

Although, the last person I thought I would see standing there, braiding my daughter Maeve’s hair in a style reminiscent of queen Elsa, and watching Caleb showing off his somersault technique was HIM…

That caught me off guard and he must have sensed it, because the first thing he did was look up.

“Hi” He said shyly

“What are you doing here, Finn?” I asked, putting my gun down on the dinner table

“I swear I didn’t break in” He laughed, attempting a joke

“What do you want?” I decided to ignore the small talk...there was no need for that, not after everything he did

“I have an injury. So I have some time off for a while and I wanted to stop by to see the kids and you” He whispered the last part

“Injury, huh? Is it bad?”

Even after everything he did, I couldn’t help but worry about his well being, you know, for the kids sake!...

Ok fine, I still love him, but he doesn’t need to know that.

“No, nothing serious. But I got two months off and I was excited to see my family” He looked at me when he said that

“Are you going to see your parents?”

“Yeah and I was thinking if it would be ok with you if I take the kids with me?”

“Of course! Why would I mind?”

His family was always very loving and kind to me, and we became very close once the kids were born. Sometimes I would take them to Ireland on my vacation so they could see their grandparents or they would travel to New York so they could see the kids.

“Because of...you know” He trailed off

“Neither your family or the kids have anything to do with that. I’m a grown woman, Finn. I know how to separate the sheep from the goat, ok?!”

I could feel the air becoming thicker with the tension, until Maeve said

“Mommy, why aren’t you wearing any pants? Are you feeling hot? I can get you the Japanese hand fan daddy gave it to me, if you’d like” She smiled

“Thank you buttercup, but that won’t be necessary. I’ll be right back”

......................................................................

Now, properly dressed, I made my way towards the kitchen to get dinner ready.

“Do you need any help?” Finn asked from behind me

“No, thank you. You can go stay with the kids” I didn’t even bother to turn around to face him

“Y/N, can we talk?”

I sighed “There’s nothing worth talking about, Finn”

“Please?”

“What can you possibly say that will change what happened? Nothing! It will be a bunch of empty sorry’s and excuses, so let’s just save it, ok?!”

“It’s not empty, I truly am sorry”

“You should’ve thought that before you believed the bunch of lies she told you”

He opened his mouth to say something but Caleb began calling for him to go watch the cartoons with them.

......................................................................

“Mommy, can daddy have dinner with us?” Maeve asked

“Of course, pumpkin. If he would like to”

“Yay” She screams “Daddy, come!” She beckoned him

The subjects of conversation at dinner were mostly controlled by the kids. They, as per usual, asked me how many bad people I had taken down that day, but also asked Finn about his traveling, which state or city he liked the most, the best foods he’d eaten, which LEGO set was he building, if the hotel beds were soft and ‘what about the blankets?’

“Alright, I know you two are very excited to see daddy, but we need to brush those teeth! So, let’s go kiddos” I got up from my chair

“I’ll do it” He grabbed both kids, resting one on each side of his hip and went up to brush their teeth

When he came back down alone, I give him a questioning look

“They’re asleep” He smiled softly

“Oh, you already put them down for bed?! Thank you” I said, cleaning the kitchen island.

He nodded “I just didn’t bathe them because they said you already did”

“Yeah, that’s the first thing I do when I get home. Or my mom does it for me if I get caught up in a case, but most of the time I do it”

“How’s work?” He asked, sitting down on one of the high benches.

“Good, Richard is my superior again, so he helps me a lot with my shifts, because of the kids” I smiled

“The old man is still working?” He laughed, amused

“Yeah, he already said he will only leave his badge when he’s dead” I cackled “How’s road life? Amazing, I presume”

“Nah, don’t let the bright lights fool ya” He laughed, bitterly “I love wrestling, being in the ring, performing for the audience, but once I pass through the curtains backstage it gets lonely” A little bit of sadness could be heard in his voice “It’s very lonely... it’s different from when I came back home to you and the kids. Now I just get back to an empty apartment, wishing I could get back home” He looks at me

“Finn, please”

“I love you! Why can’t we just try again?”

“Because no!”

“Why?” He pleaded

“Because you don’t know what it was like ok?! You don’t know how much it hurt me, the things you said, the fact that you believed some envious woman’s gossip about me having an affair with Lucas! He’s married for fuck’s sake! To a man!”

“I- I didn’t knew Lucas was gay, Y/N”

“Yeah, you didn’t! And why is that? Oh yeah, because you did not trust your own wife, all you saw was the fact that he is a man and my work partner so you just bought the assumption that woman sold you, choosing to believe her instead of me!”

“It wasn’t like that, ok?” He tried to explain

“It wasn’t like that, you say? When you were the one who came in here filled with accusations! Saying that I had an affair with him, that I cheated on you, that you wished you would’ve slept with half of the women who throw themselves at you everyday, doubting that those kids upstairs are yours, when they’re the fucking spitting image of you! You said all those horrible things, Finn. Not me!”

He stared at his knuckles as I continued, now crying

“How do you think that made me feel? To listen from my own husband how much he wished he had cheated on me. Bragging about all of the hot young women who are waiting to be fucked by a wrestler...You know it was always hard for me to accept that you wanted me and not some hot girl in the locker room, that you had chosen me, that I got lucky enough to not only marry a man who’s physically breathtaking but also such a beautiful person on the inside. And still, it was that same Prince Charming who became the frog! I never thought that” I had to stop myself from saying the next horrible words roaming through my mind

“You never thought that, what, Y/N?”

I shook my head

“Say it”

I shook my head again and he got up from the bench, coming to where I was standing

“Say it, love. I can take it”

“I don’t want to say it” I whispered as more tears rolled down my cheeks

“Shhh, it’s ok, love” Finn pulled my head to his chest “Please don’t cry, I hate when you cry” His arms are tightly locked around me, providing me the sense of comfort that only he could give. And I hated that!

“Let me go” I tried to push him away

“What’s wrong, Y/N?”

“Just don’t touch me” I said, shoving him away

He knew that I was closing him off, I could see it in his eyes

“Say it! You never thought that what?” He insisted, more forcefully this time

“I never thought that someday I would regret meeting you! Marrying you, starting a family with you. If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t!” I spat

“You wouldn’t?” He scooted closer

“No” I answered with venom in my voice, trying to turn my undying love for him into hatred

“But I would!” Finn said firmly

I shook my head in denial, as he cupped my cheeks in his calloused hands, making me look up to meet his blue eyes

“I would do it, all over again. Meeting you, dating you, marrying you, having kids with you, in the future seeing the kids graduate high school, college, be at their wedding, take our future grandkids to the park, and spend the rest of my life with you! I would choose you over and over and over again! I choose you everyday, Y/N”

I squeezed my eyes shut

“You’re lying! Stop lying, Finn” I whispered

“Am I though? Open your eyes and look at me. I was never able to hide ANYTHING from you, I can lie to anyone but you. You can always see through me, so just look at me and tell me if I’m lying. If I am, then I promise you, I’ll leave this house right now and you’ll never have to see me again! Just open your eyes” He kissed each closed eyelid

After a few minutes, I gathered the courage to finally look at him and I could only see love, regret, pain and truth.

“I love you Y/N and always will. Yes, I was dumb to listen to some random gossip and I’m paying the price for it, but the only thing I ask you is: please, don’t give up on us! I’ll give you whatever time you need, just promise me that we’ll fix it. That we’ll be together again...You, Caleb and Maeve are my life! I would die to save you in a blink, love. If I had to choose between your life or mine I would choose yours, becau-“

I placed two fingers on his lips

“Stop talking like that! You know I don’t like it. It attracts those bad vibes, you know?”

Finn lightly chuckled “But I mean it”

“Stop! I don’t like when you talk like that... I hate to think that something bad could ever happen to you. You know, because of the kids” I tried to hide my feelings

“And you wouldn’t miss me, not even a little bit?” He teased

“I miss you everyday” I quickly slapped a hand over my mouth when I realized what I just said

He smiled sweetly, leaning down to place sweet and innocent pecks all over my face.

Finn started on my forehead, then he went to my temples, followed by the cheekbones, apple’s of the cheek, jaw, chin, side of my lips. Finn pulled back to search for any resistance signs and when he found none, he kissed my lips. A lazy kiss, that grew more urgent by the minute.

“Fuck, I missed you so much” He moaned, now kissing my neck

“Finn, wait. Wait a minute” I tried to pull his head back by his hair but that only made him moan.

“Finn!” I said harshly, finally having his attention

“What’s wrong, love? Don’t you want it? I thought that-“

“Have you seen anyone since we broke up?” I asked, not even letting him finish his sentence

“We didn’t break up! You asked me for some time and-“

“Finn, just answer the fucking question please” I pleaded

“No, I haven’t been with anyone in those 8 months. Except for my hand when I look at your pictures” He smirked

“You’re so ridiculous” I whispered in relief as my arms circled his waist

“So...do you still want to make love?” He eagerly asked

“We never made love, Finny. We’ve always fucked senseless” I laughed

“No! We’ve always made love it’s just that we’re more frantic about it” He chuckled

“Ok, we sleep together and then what?” I asked

“Then you stay here and I go back to my apartment” He simply said

My heart sunk in my chest as a faint “Oh, ok” left my lips

“So I can pack my clothes and bring them back home” He said, as a devilish smile grew on his face “That’s of course, if you want me here”

“Asshole” I lightly punched his chest “I thought you just wanted a one night stand and that’s it. You scared me!”

Finn chuckled, beckoning me closer to him

“You could never be just a one night stand, love. You fuck too good to be just a one time thing” He winked

“So you just want me for my bedroom skills, huh?” I teased

“Yes and no” He giggled “Yes, because no other woman fucks like you do” He bit my neck, growling “And no, because there’s so much more about you than the bedroom” He hugged my waist “You’re my best friend, my nurturer, my supporter, the air that keeps me alive, my everything!” He kissed me passionately

“Can we try again? Start over and leave all that shit behind us?” He whispered

“If you promise me that if we get back together, you won’t listen to other people’s gossip and will come to me whenever you hear somethi-“

“Yes!” He pecked my lips excitedly, as a wide smile took over his face “I promise you, love! That’ll never happen again, you have my word!” He gave me a bear hug and spun me around the kitchen

“Finn!” I squealed, when we almost fell to the ground “We’re going to wake up the kids” I giggled

“Oh no, shhhh” He shut me up with a kiss “We can’t let that happen! Because as much as I love our children, I haven’t gotten any in eight months and I can’t wait to change that with you right now” He pushed us towards the couch and laid on top of me

“But I thought you were going to go and get your clothes”

“I don’t need clothes, woman! You know I like to sleep naked” He winked

And roamed his head down to...

Please, if you’re comfortable with it, let me know your thoughts on this? Feedbacks are always appreciated 🥰😘

#finn balor one shot #finn balor x reader #finn balor fanfiction #finn balor imagine #finn balor #nxt x reader #nxt imagine #nxt #nxt wrestling #wwe nxt #nxt fanfiction #masochist writes

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love-bokumono-fics · 3 years ago

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WIP Wednesday - Trio of Towns

Trio of Towns has no shortage of wonderful works that are in progress. Some of them I know are years in the making and I always look forward to an update.

So here's hoping you find a new story to love!

If you're reading or writing a Trio of Towns WIP that didn't get featured today, please feel more than welcome to drop it in the Submission box and share with the rest of us! (When I only share 10 fics at a time, there's always something that's bound to be missed.)

Two in One - by PineconeTheKitten; WIP, 1/?, 1.3k

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: F/M, M/M, Multi

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Ford/Wayne, Female Farmer/Ford, Female Farmer/Wayne; Characters: Female Farmer, Ford, Wayne, Dessie, Inari, Witchie

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Magic Revealed, Gods, Goddesses, Spirits

Summary: Ford and Wayne were once two people. Now they aren't. Holly doesn't know what to do. As it turns out, Ward is pretty into Holly, and she into him.

Two Individuals in Love can be Asexual, a Case Study - by chickadeequill; WIP, 1/?, <1k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Farmer/Ford; Characters: Ford, Female Farmer, Wayne

Additional Tags: Asexual Relationship, Romantic Fluff

Summary: After years of painstakingly avoiding romance, the town's eligible and single doctor Ford finds himself facing a simple question: is there room in his life for love? It seems the hardworking farmer just past the crossroads is still single as well, and Ford just can't figure out why she keeps declining advances from the other eligible singles in all three towns.

Watered-Down Ideals - by LemWrites; WIP, 3/?, 4k

Rating: Not Rated; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: M/M, Multi

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Farmer/Ludus; Characters: Original Male Character(s), Frank, Megan, Hector, Colin, Noel | Noelle

Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Fluff, Self Confidence Issues, ADHD, I gave a farmer adhd and anxiety, this may have more projection then intended

Summary: Join Steve, the newly appointed farmer in the Trio of Towns world, on a journey full of; useless gay pinning, being a disaster, self hatred and more!

Earth and Rebirth - by TheBeckster; WIP, 17/?, 66k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: Multi, Gen

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Characters: Holly | Nanami, Frank, Marlena, Wayne, Ford, Lisette, Brad, Carrie, everyone

Additional Tags: Undecided Relationship(s), Additional Tags to Be Added, lots of headcanons, Minor Character Death, Eventual Friends to Lovers, I'm not going to tag every single character, but they will all have a part in the story, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, New friends and found family, world building, Angst with a Happy Ending, Holly is an extrovert, endgame ship tbd, Cover Art

Summary: Holly considered herself fortunate to be living about as close to the dream as any young twenty-something could. A great family, a loving husband, and well, she'd admit their apartment was awful, but they'd be moving onto bigger and better things soon enough. She truthfully couldn't wish for more. But when an accident rips it all away from her, Holly finds herself seeking a change of scenery. Her Uncle's farm out in the middle of nowhere is the perfect place for her to hide to mourn. A familiar story with a twist or two.

Fire and Dew - by Juliko; WIP, 9/26, 73k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Yuzuki/Original Character(s)

Characters: Original Female Character(s), Yuzuki, Sumomo, Lisette, Colin, Wayne, Brad, Carrie, Shizu, Yaichi, Tatsumi, Omiyo, Umekichi, Lynn, Marlena, Daryl | Darius, Ittetsu, Moriya

Additional Tags: farming, Slice of Life, Drama, Family Drama, Family Issues, Autism, Autism Spectrum, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Original Character(s), Major Original Character(s), Female Character of Color, Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Friendship/Love, Past Child Abuse, Child Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Humor, Eventual Happy Ending, Comedy, Friends to Lovers, Adoption, Sick Character, Lulukoko characters won't appear in this fic, Falling In Love, Dorks, Ableism, Happy Ending, Romantic Fluff, Break Up, Past Relationship(s), Cows, Chickens, Sheep, Rabbits, Flowers, Stimming, Family Fluff, Bisexual Female Character, Pansexual Character, Lesbian Character, Children, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma

Summary: For as long as she could remember, Harper Leigh Maxwell's dream has always been to become a farmer, but her father's job makes it hard to do so, since it involves lots of moving. After graduating from college, she finally decides to take a chance and get her own farm. She's determined to make the most of this opportunity and do what she's wanted. In the process, she makes new friends, learns many new things, and faces many hardships. One of the friends she makes is Yuzuki Fujiwara, a mellow, sweet natured man from the town of Tsuyukusa who doesn't have the best constitution. The two of them form a strong connection that may even end up blossoming into love. But Harper's past might make things complicated, and when it threatens to catch up with her, she may find herself facing the demons from her pre-adoption early childhood. This is the story of two different people, with different interests, passions, and paths in life, walking the same dirt road every day...

Tiny Steps to Big Leaps - by Distracteddiddlin; WIP, 29/?, 28k

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Other

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Ford/Holly | Nanami; Characters: Ford, Holly | Nanami, Brad, Wayne

Additional Tags: Fluff, Developing Relationship, surprise parenting, rating and tags will update, NB Farmer, Idiots in Love, Wet Dream, Love Confessions, oh it's fucking started now, Mildly Dubious Consent, for like the smallest split second

Summary: Me while writing this months ago: what if I did that that Ford/farmer fic again but with a twist? Basically it's what if Ford accidentally became a single dad after the farmer meets him

Stranded - by TheBeckster; WIP, 2/?, 4k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Gen

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Ludus & Siluka, Ludus & Iluka, Iluka & Siluka; Characters: Ludus, Iluka, Siluka, Tototara, Zahau, Caolila

Additional Tags: all aboard the childhood trauma boat!, Pre-Canon, Peril, Wilderness Survival, Mild Blood

Summary: Desperate for an adventure to break up the interminable boredom of a long summer, three kids set to the high seas and get way more adventure than they ever hoped for or wanted. AKA: Let's explore the Lulukoko Trio's shared childhood trauma!

Trio Of Towns - Figuring Out Love - by vampireprincess624; WIP, 6/?, 5k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Multi

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Ford/Pixie; Characters: Ford, Pixie, Wayne, Brad, Lisette, Carrie, Noelle, Colin, Miranda, Frank, Megan, Hector, Other(s)

Summary: Pixie Fawn is left with a mess she has to sort out after leaving Ludus at their wedding because Ford, who had been away for seven months, appeared as a guest. But how is fixing things with the stubborn doctor more difficult than sorting things out with her ex husband-to-be? Are they destined to be friends or will their stronger feelings for each other lead to love? A lot of Ford/Pixie scenes where they figure out their love for each other. This is Part 3 to my series, Life In The Towns, and I strongly advise you read Part 1 (or at least the last few chapters) before this, but it should still make sense anyway. Hope you enjoy :)

The House That We Built - by CherryQDoodles; WIP, 2/?, 8k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Holly | Nanami/Ludus; Characters: Ludus, Original Characters, Lulukoko Villagers, Westown Villagers, Tsuyukusa Villagers

Additional Tags: Slow Burn, story building, Learning from the Past, Tons of fluffy moments, farmlife shenanigans, Festivals, Romance, Dark skinned MC, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Summary: Nicola knew as soon as she was able to talk that she was very different from the family she was raised in. From her dark skin to her snow white hair she stuck out as the black sheep, but she loved them like they were her blood, and vice versa. But Nicola always dreamed of wanting more: to become a farmer. Growing crops, raising animals and everything in between! She just had to convince her father that she could handle the hard work within two years time. Follow Nicola's journey to becoming the best farmer she dreams of, and her adventures in the Trio of Towns!

Ford's Roses - by thelighthouse33; WIP, 5/?, 3k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Farmer/Ford; Characters: Ford, Female Farmer, Wayne, Megan, Frank, Miranda, Carrie, Brad, Lisette, Noel | Noelle, Colin

Additional Tags: My First Work in This Fandom, better late than never, Ford x Holly, Story of Seasons Trio of Towns, Harvest Moon - Freeform, Gaming

Summary: This is a story of how the doctor of Westown, in charge of The White Capsule Clinic, falls in love with the new farm girl...

#wip wednesday #story of seasons #harvest moon #trio of towns #sos 3ot #story of seasons trio of towns #3ot #sos tot

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vintagegeekculture · 4 years ago

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Who are the “Venoms Mob?”

Well, first things first: if you go to China and talk about the 5 Venoms, or the Venoms Mob, they’ll have absolutely no idea who you’re talking about there, because that’s a fandom-term among US Kung Fu cult movie fans.

In Hong Kong, the Venoms are known as director Chang Cheh’s Weapons Expert Troupe, a group of five lifelong friends, martial artists, bodybuilders, exotic weapons experts, and trained acrobats who did at least a dozen movies for manly man Kung Fu director Chang Cheh in the 1970s and 1980s. They were the real deal: they usually choreographed their own fight scenes, which often involved flips and crazy stunts due to their acrobat training, high-wire acts, and unusual and exotic weaponry not typically seen even in martial arts movies. It’s like every single one of them drank the Captain America potion. Their films tended to end in heroic sacrifices, and the Venoms, for all their athleticism and daring, tended to be identifiable people on the bottom end of the societal ladder: homeless drifters, refugees, itinerant hobos, traveling performers, or restaurant workers.

The Venoms were stars in the US, particularly among the black community who love Chinese martial arts movies, not just because of their truly breathtaking skill and choreography, but because they are how most people feel they are, secretly, deep down: rams among sheep. They are the poor, downtrodden, or average person who decides “not to take it anymore” after untold indignities. This is also why the Venoms are especially important to the black community. In fact, if you want to know how much the Venoms mean to their fans, just go up to nearly any Black Dad over 45+ and ask about the “5 Venoms.”

Chang Cheh, Director of the Venoms

The best way to describe the director and writer of the Venoms films, Chang Cheh is that he is basically Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia if he decided to make Gladiator and loved Sergio Leone and Kurasawa.

The director and writer of the Venoms movies, and maybe the most significant name in the history of Kung Fu cinema apart from Bruce Lee, Chang Cheh was towering enough that Quentin Tarantino dedicated Kill Bill Part 2 to Chang Cheh in the closing credits. It would not be inaccurate to say he invented the Kung Fu movie as we know it, with its training montages, mentor-student relationships, all cut with themes of vengeance, noble self-sacrifice, and rebellion of poor and ordinary people against unjust authority.

Chang Cheh’s life story is fascinating. His father was a warlord during the Republican Era between the World Wars, which must have made for an interesting school career day. He started as a film critic and became a screenwriter, then from being a screenwriter, became a director. I wonder if that is the reason that Chang Cheh was so fascinated by themes of masculinity and male bonding, as the arty, openly gay movie critic son of a central Asian warlord had a nearly impossible standard of masculinity to live up to.

The two Western movies that are, thematically, the closest to Chang Cheh are Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan, and if you like both of those movies, you’ll probably like him. His heroes are often James Dean-like angry young men, poor and at the outskirts of society. His movies tend to end in heroic self-sacrifice for a noble cause, and tend to have themes of vengeance, arty blood red slaughter, and a distrust of authority and government of any kind. He loves bloodshed and thinks violence is beautiful; an image that comes up often is someone in an all white outfit that gets covered in blood, an arty view of violence similar to his two biggest influences, Sergio Leone and Kurosawa. Like the Shawshank Redemption, Chang Cheh movies are essentially ensemble pieces about the friendships and close comradely bonds of brotherhood between men. Very few women of any kind have extensive speaking parts in his movies.

Another movie that also summarizes Chang Cheh would be 300. Remember that Sarah Silverman bit where she said that “300 is the answer to the question, how gay is this movie on a scale of 1 to 10?” Not just because it is about an entirely male cast, or about finding fulfillment in noble self-sacrifice and heroism Alamo-style against desperate odds, but also because it’s about glorifying the male body, with tons of abs and pecs. I suppose I should mention here that Chang Cheh’s movies are profoundly homoerotic, and discussion of their homoeroticism is the major way film academics talk about these movies. How many scenes in Cheh’s movies are about dudes hanging out with their shirts off, flexing their muscles? Or about “brothers” who clasp each other on the shoulder while looking longingly into each other’s eyes in a shot-reverse shot? The only meaningful relationship in his movies are male ones. I dislike passing on cheap gossip, but by all accounts it’s actually an open secret in the Hong Kong film industry that Chang Cheh was homosexual and lived with other men.

Yi Kuang -Screenwriter of the Venoms

The screenwriter of nearly all the Venoms movies, much like Chang Cheh, Yi Kuang had an interesting life. He was a Communist Party officer who went to Inner Mongolia, where his primary job was writing death sentences for landlords. Once idealistic, he left disillusioned with the Chinese Communist Party, and a remained a die-hard anticommunist. Evil bureaucrats tend to show up in his stories often for that reason, and a common theme of his scripts is the anger of ordinary people against distant, unapproachable authorities. There’s no understanding Venoms films without their screenwriter. Chang Cheh started as a screenwriter and wrote his movies, but Yi Kuang was his most frequent partner.

Interestingly, Yi Kuang got famous long after for writing a series of supernatural and horror novels called the Mr. Wisely books, where a traditional Chinese medicine expert fights for sites of power charged with Feng Shui. It’s interesting to see his turn to the supernatural, sorcery, and ghosts as an overreaction to his distaste for Marxist materialism. Of all the Venoms films, the one that shows his influence the strongest was the one the Venoms fight an evil human sacrifice devil cult, Masked Avengers.

The Hero – Kuo Chui

A guy with a big smile and a body carved out of marble, Kuo Chui started as a circus acrobat before becoming a stuntman and then a leading actor. He was the Venom with the strongest and most natural screen presence, the one that was the most “movie star.” In fact, he was almost always the hero and central character of Venoms movies, usually playing the most levelheaded and strategic minded of the group.

Kuo Chui deserves some credit also for being the one Venom to actually direct a movie himself, Ninja in the Deadly Trap. This sounds like a heck of a leap, but in Hong Kong, nearly all choreographers also direct their fight scenes. It’s no surprise that a common career path in Hong Kong cinema is to go from choreographer to director (see also Chang Cheh’s ex-choreographers, Tang Chia and 36 Chambers director Liu Chia Liang)

The Bad Guy – Lu Feng

Every single movie, Lu Feng was the heel, the bad guy. I mean, heck, in Shaolin Rescuers, he even played the evil apprentice of the supreme supervillain of the martial arts, Pai Mei! But no matter what, Lu Feng was just so cool that you couldn’t help but root for him just a little bit. He was a character type common in pro wrestling: the arrogant “cool heel,” like Rick Flair and the Horsemen.

The Venoms tended to be workaday regular poor guys, but Lu Feng usually played a rich guy who oozed arrogance and menace, rather like the evil rich football player heel in college movies.

The Funny Guy – Chiang Sheng

A guy who usually played the funny young hero or a wisecracking comedy sidekick prone to wiseassery and pratfalls, Chiang Peng was the Venom who most benefited from the rise of Jackie Chan, and his introduction of silent film era inspired physical comedy into the otherwise stale Kung Fu film. Like Robin Williams, Chiang Shiang was someone who made everyone else laugh, but because he had a lot of darkness inside him, which ended up killing him. Chiang Sheng is the only Venom to not be with us, he drank himself to death after his divorce in 1991. Because of this, there can never really be a full Venoms reunion.

One of the most amazing things about Hong Kong cinema in the 70s is that the actors tended to have scraggly teeth that aren’t perfect and that seemed to be Chang Shieng’s defining trait. To be clear, I am not in any way mocking him for having bad teeth. In fact, I think it is rather winsome and endearing, like a teenager with braces.

The Tough Guy – Lo Meng

Known as the “Shaolin Hercules,” the person I’d compare Lo Meng to is Mr. Worf. Ultra-strong, humorless, intimidating, dead serious and never smiling, he was by far the most muscular and powerful of the Venoms, with tons of machismo and swagger, “big dick energy” as the kids say today. The camera tends to linger on his oiled up biceps and chest in extreme close-up…but was also, usually, the first to die in nearly all of these films. Much like how Worf was the toughest guy ever, but usually got beat up a lot so the writers could show that the situation was serious. In fact, Lo Meng, still in great shape, was in Ip Man 4, where, not one to break with a tradition, he was the first guy to get his ass beat in the film, even in a movie made in the Year of Our Lord 2020.

Lo Meng tends to be the “backup main hero” and was even the main character in films like 2 Champions of Shaolin. He had the most impressive “solo” film career apart from the other Venoms. Like Geri Halliwell, he left the Venoms to do his own thing, which is why the defining trait of the later Venom films is that he wasn’t there.

Lo Meng wasn’t Taiwanese like the other Venoms, and was a native of Hong Kong. In fact, he got his start in the film industry not as a stuntman or muscleman, but as an accountant for the Shaw Brothers studios, and he lifted weights and did Praying Mantis Kung Fu as a hobby. That’s…that’s hilarious. Reminds me of that fake Simpsons movie, Undercover Nerd with Renier Wolfcastle:

The Wild Card – Chun Shieng

Would YOU trust this man? I wouldn’t. He betrayed the Toad!

That’s Chun Shieng for you, the wild card Venom who could “go either way” and so wasn’t an entirely trustworthy ally.

Allow me to correct a misconception I’ve seen in a lot of places: Chun is sometimes known as “the one Korean Venom.” He isn’t Korean but Chinese, but he was trained in Korea and is a Tae Kwon Do expert, unlike the other Venoms, who studied Chinese Kung Fu and Peking Opera. And it certainly shows: he always fights with a kick-heavy Tae Kwon Do style that does not look much like any Kung Fu at all.

#kung fu #martial arts #shaw brothers #70s #5 venoms

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eradicatetehnormal · 3 years ago

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Just Finished Season 2 of Beastars (Pretty late I Know)

MOB BOSS LOUIS? AND HE WAS OUT HERE KILLING IT GO LOUIS GO. Bruh, he's my favorite character, I love him so much. Him realizing he loves carnivores and that he loves Legoshi, BRO, BRO. Beautiful scene. I didn't understand where Legoshi x Louis stans were coming from, but now I do. I'll bring it up more later.

Little side tangent here, but is it just me, or did season 2 get a lot gayer? Like, we had that scene of the frickboy Ram wanting Legoshi to consume him after he backed him into a corner and turned off all the lights, that entire backstory with the Alpaca boy's killer and how he romanticized it, and then episode 9 being episode 9. It's wild. Of course, though, the things I just mentioned can be read to mean many different things.

Anyway, I'm Legoshi was a real jerk to Haru early on. Asking her about an old "lover" and then asking her to marry him? What kinda move was that? Then again she did later ask about Louis after she told Legoshi she loves him. So it evens out I suppose. I'm hoping for the best for them, and I hope that Legoshi's odd decision to drop out of school won't put a dent in him protecting her and her being happy with him.

I really enjoyed that episode with the Cheetah and Juno. The Cheetah being upset about having to conform to standards she didn't fit into and had no interest in doing so, and then having a relaxing little outing with that sheep and seeing them find out small things about each other like certain fabrics on wool causing static, and cheetahs not being able to wear clothes with patterns. It was all really wholesome and really relatable to me. Juno spending time with Haru was great too and just seeing them interact and Juno seeing Haru as someone who should be protecting (there are those semi gay undertones again) was a good little development for her character. Kinda sad for Haru though, considering how she feels about being seen as sympathetic and weak. Honestly, I'm really rooting for Juno. I don't know why but if not Legoshi, I really want to see Juno become the next Beastar.

Aside from the main story beats there's also the overall question of "What does it mean to consume someone?" and "What does it mean for a carnivore and a herbivore to be friends?" I'm getting tired while writing this so this section might be short.

So for the bear, until the final episode, it meant taking someone's entire being in order to live with themselves. Kinda like those selfish friends who have good intentions but take up your entire life due to over-attachment or greediness.

For Legoshi, it means an act of great understanding and only taking a part of them, enough for them to function, and enough for you to be stronger as a person so that you can continue to protect them.

For that ram guy... IDK might just be some weird fetish. Someone feel free to give me a deep dive into his character.

I thought the ending with Legoshi and Louis was beautiful. After coming to terms with himself, Louis runs to Legoshi, opens up to him, and through Louis literally giving a part of himself Legoshi, Louis is freed from the shackles of his past and the two of them come out stronger because of it.

#beastars #beastars season 2 #please don't spoil the manga for me uwu

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betwixtofficial · 4 years ago

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UNDERWING CHALLENGE DAY 3

Day 1 [X]

Day 2 [X]

Who is your main cast? Describe as many of your OCs as you can cram into one post.

Character Introduction- this is by no means the entirety of our cast, not even close.

Leith and I each developed our own characters over many many years and I'm going to do my best to bring Leith’s characters to life as accurately as possible and I promise to love (torture) them like they're my own.

Andi’s characters-

Xavier Alexander Maxwell- When it comes down to it, this is Xave's story. A small pale faerie-human halfling, with a painfully tragic beginning, looking for love and family in all the wrong places. Xavier has neon, glitter, and more sexual energy coursing through his veins than he knows what to do with. A faerie half he doesn’t always have control over, and between the Fae, the Zaccardas, and his own personal demons- all fighting for a chance to control him, it’s going to be a long dark journey. It’s not ONLY pain and dark. It's just MOSTLY pain and dark. ...you know, aside from all the glitter and neon.

Alexander- I wasn't planning on adding Alex to this, I am not sure how I didn't realize he was one of the main characters till now, but he shows up as often or even more often than any of the other characters besides Xave. Alex is Xavier's fae half. They are the very first human/faerie hybrid and though they aren't completely separate, there are some strong distinctions, and they communicate with each other, so they are separate enough for Alex to have his own blurb.

But really it's very difficult to tell where one of them begins and the other ends. They are the same being, They are both magic and mundane, they are both human and fae. Xave tends to lean more human, Alex tends to lean more faerie, they are both real. They do have somewhat distinct personalities, ... Xave is 2010 Bill Kaulitz (especially the blushy giggly interviews) and Alex is Adam Lambert in For Your Entertainment. In either case there is a lot of mascara involved. It's complicated.

Rivet Dragonrail- A grown up lost girl with dark olive skin and brown eyes, she has always tried to put her clouded origins behind her, but they never seem to stay put. With freakish abilities she’d rather not have, a pervasive drinking problem she scoffs at, and an unfortunate talent for violence in the service of those for whom she is unwillingly compelled to play the role of savior, it seems like she’s always walking a path hellbent on destruction. She feels the sins she has committed are ceaselessly breathing down her neck, requiring atonement she does not know how to provide. She would like nothing more than to stand in the eye of the raging storm of the lives lived and lost around her, screaming at the sheer horror of it all, giving a big middle finger to both heaven and hell alike. But what good, really, would that do? So she plods on- her best friends are the knife on her hip, the beer in her fridge, the damn raven-shifter who has adopted her out of morbid curiosity, the damn chicken she’s adopted out of sheer respect for his will to live.... and Jaq, her ride or die that she can’t figure out her feelings for, but it doesn’t fucking matter because that just ain’t happening. Jaq is as gay as it gets.

Ember Skye Arceneaux- He’s too good to be true. No, really. His smile is like sunshine poured into your soul. Golden surfer boy good looks with sunkissed golden surfer hair tucked behind his ears, but his golden tan isn’t from the beach or the salon, it’s just his skin. Kind-hearted and generous. Plays guitar and sings like an angel with a perfect soulful raspy voice... And he loves Jaq absolutely and unconditionally, whether Jaq deserves it or not... and he’s Canadian. His only flaw seems to be that he’s maybe a little too laid back?

Luca Zaccarda- Since childhood his exceptionally ambitious mother has pushed him to leadership. She grafted her way on to the powerful Zaccarda family tree by marrying a younger son with no ambition past his next perfectly kneaded loaf of ciabatta, and then did everything in her power to see her eldest child reach the heights of power for which she believed he was destined. There’s only one problem- Luca doesn’t share her cut-throat nature. Ambition, power, and the trappings of wealth have never been the driving factors in his life and he’s set his mind to changing the status quo, mama and her scheming be damned. Oh, he’s just as capable a leader as she believes him to be. He’s no plump baker happily whistling away his hours in the kitchen like his father.. and he’s planning on taking down his own corrupt family, one... by one... by one. ...also... Mafia Werewolves anybody!?!

Teodoro Zaccarda- oh Teo, Teo, Teo. The black sheep. The playboy prince. Constantly in the tabloids, constantly in trouble, needing bailed out of this situation or that. Coming home drunk, or high, or naked. The family embarrassment. He just wishes his family wouldn’t expect so much from him. Like, the bare minimum. That’s all they expect Teo. The bare minimum.

There are about 50 other Zaccardas. I have a family tree of them. Some are more important than others, but the two listed here show up far more often than any of the others.

Leith’s characters-

Wynter Primose Dean - The physical embodiment of anxiety, standing at 6ft 9, built like a brick house, with a heart of gold and a difficult stutter. He fell in love with the right person at the wrong time, felt heartache like he had never before and after an extremely traumatic breakup he discovered his true nature, under a full moon, alone and afraid in the middle of nowhere - a werewolf. With a love for nature and all things wild, he spends a lot of his time isolated out at his cabin, crafting beautiful wooden furniture and spending more time with trees than with the people he calls family.

Jaq Knox - Dealing with childhood trauma and serious mental illness that messes up his perceptions of reality, he rarely trusts people. For the few he has let in it’s a constant battle with communication and understanding, for both parties involved. He struggles to understand the absolutes of right and wrong; he does have a moral code but often, especially in the past, he’s just been a thoughtless asshole as it was easier that way, easier to keep people at a distance. Throughout his struggles with his mind, encounters with the law and various substances, he’s been pushing boundaries in the art world and is slowly learning how to be a better person, realizing that people actually do care about him and that maybe having a found-family isn’t so bad after all.

Eden Knox - He seems perfect, standing at 6ft tall with soft, pale blonde hair and clear skin, dressing in white and pastel colors, carrying an expensive purse and smelling like a walking Bath and Bodyworks. But as with everyone he has his demons, his just happens to have a name - Jonah. He was swept off his feet at the tender age of nineteen and carried off into a life that was a very far cry from his upbringing in a group foster home. But his perfect life with his handsome husband is nothing like what it appears from the outside, and life gets very dark before it begins to get light again.

Aspen Merrill - The younger of the Merrill brothers, he started a family at a young age with a woman he didn’t truly love - after a very amicable divorce they now co-parent their two children. He was lost for a very long time, wandering between jobs he didn’t really enjoy, women he didn’t really love, friends he didn’t really like, until he met Luca and he found his calling. He is Alfred to Luca’s Batman, from straightening ties before important meetings to organizing decoy cars to get Luca out of dangerous situations, he is extremely calm and collected and a haven of stability.

Jonah Merrill - The king of his own castle, the only person that matters in his world is himself, oh and sometimes his husband, when its convenient to him of course. Never one to shy away from threats or violence to achieve a goal, he’s not only unstoppable in his personal life but in business, using his many connections to overpower and intimidate anyone who gets in his way. Once he discovers magic and the power it can bear he’s even more unstoppable than before, and uses his husbands complete loyalty for his own very dark plans.

The cast is a pride rainbow flag. We’re all queer here. Well, except for Aspen, he might be one of the only completely cishet character in sight.

#underwing challenge #writeblr #betwixt

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hexalt · 5 years ago

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Schitt’s Creek and the Transformative Power of Love

I first watched the pilot for Schitt’s Creek in the early part of 2019 and found it...eccentric. Not really funny, the characters weren’t speaking to me (except for Stevie (Emily Hampshire), whom I felt a kinship with), and the story seemed odd. I decided this show just wasn’t for me, and I had given it my best shot. Many months later, one of my best friends was posting about it frequently. Since we have the same taste, I thought maybe it was just the pilot. Maybe I should give it another shot. Maybe this time I’ll actually like it. So I started it from the pilot again, and I kept watching even if I wasn’t thoroughly entertained. I soon grew to love the two black sheep and having characters you understand always makes things easier.

What I didn’t realize when I started the show was that the characters were each more than they seem, they weren’t meant to be shallow jokes of themselves and their personas. The way they acted was often a façade hiding their insecurities of not being good enough in a variety of ways. The only other show that I’ve seen with a somewhat similar premise is Arrested Development, but there the characters are supposed to be absolutely ignorant, privileged assholes with no redeeming qualities.

I didn’t realize each season is better than the last, an astounding and rare feat in television. The quality of each season improves as the show quickly finds its footing by discarding early storylines that didn’t really work and letting the characters slowly becoming more grounded and open. This family that was once so distant that the parents didn’t even know their daughter’s middle name eventually develop genuine relationships for the first time with each other and other people.

Schitt’s Creek, co-created by father and son, Eugene (American Pie, Best in Show) and Dan Levy, wanted us to ultimately empathize with these characters, even if the remnants of their wealth can make them profoundly delusional and hilarious a lot of the time. Before writing the show, they created timelines going back to their characters’ elementary school years, detailing everything from where they worked to what they wore.

The fashion on the show is distinct and the best dressed I’ve seen in any show (and most films). Dan is huge into fashion and personally selects a lot of pieces worn in the show (some of David’s clothes are even from his own wardrobe). Instead of constantly telling the audience that this family used to be rich, we are reminded of it through Moira’s wall of wigs and couture black and white ensembles, David’s patterned black sweaters and low crotch pants, Alexis’s bohemian dresses and headbands, and Johnny’s array of business suits. When they enter any room in town, they are clearly fish out of water.

Schitt’s Creek centers on the Roses, a once-disgustingly wealthy family who lose their fortune and are forced to move to the only asset they have left: a small town named Schitt’s Creek that Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) bought as a joke for his son, David (Dan Levy). So dilapidated is Schitt's Creek and so destitute are the Roses, they don't even have a house of their own; instead they are forced to live in a motel with two connecting rooms, forgoing all the luxury they had become accustomed to and, more terrifyingly, are now physically closer than ever.

While at first the family is horrified at the prospect of living in such a small town with townies, they eventually embrace the weirdness of the town, and it makes them grow in unexpected ways. Johnny was once the owner of the second-largest video rental store in the country and retains his businessman-like self through and through, but he also began the show more uppity. While he is often the most reasonable of the Roses, he often sees himself as above others in town and gets into awkward situations because of it. Over the course of the show he ends up developing a friendship with the town mayor to whom he initially had yelled “get the fuck out!” While he’s always devoted to his wife, he wasn’t so keen on his children, but being forced to live together makes him take a larger interest in their lives and become a better father.

Alexis (Annie Murphy) is the quintessential “dumb blonde” socialite who’s had a Schitt-ton of relationships with powerful men, making stories of her past highly entertaining, often illegal, and frequently frightening. She clearly grew up way too fast, never having had proper adult supervision. She’s reliant on men, and all she can think about in season one is trying to date cute guys. In the following seasons, she realizes it’s time to start growing up and gets her high school and Associate’s Degree to start her own PR business. She becomes a more enlightened version of herself, still deeply kind but also willing to put the happiness of others above her own. The Alexis who previously couldn’t see beyond her own nose becomes independent and more selfless.

David’s had hundreds of flings with people of all genders, but they seem to be replete with abuse, manipulation, and a lack of care for his being. This is unsurprising when we see how he hides his insecurity behind sarcasm and sometimes downplays things he doesn’t like to fit in. He fears showing kindness to anyone because others haven’t always been so kind to him. Early on, he has a panic attack and comes to the realization that he’s “really lonely here,” but he’s been lonely for a lot longer than that. What he doesn’t expect is to make his first best friend or find his soon-to-be husband in this backwater town. In the process, he learns to shed some of his armor.

Moira (Catherine O’Hara) was once on a soap opera, Sunrise Bay, and retains the melodrama in her day-to-day life and demeanor. She is constantly trying to become what she believes is a star: someone who acts in film, someone who everyone mourns when they die, someone who people will just pay one sliver of attention to. She’s desperately trying to cling to the spotlight, but in “Life is a Cabaret,” she finds what I believe will be her place come this final season. Rather than trying to constantly soak up attention, she gives Stevie the starring role in the town’s production of Cabaret (which Moira comes to direct) because getting that role was a “gift that once jolted [her] out of [her] little podunk routine.” From the wings of the stage, as Stevie slowly builds into “Maybe This Time” with such breathtaking passion and joy after starting off unsure and quiet, Moira is shocked at what she was able to bring out of Stevie. She’s finally realizing that her place isn’t center stage but in bringing out the best in others and helping them find their place in the world.

Stevie Budd begins as the desk clerk of the Schitt’s Creek motel until her great-aunt passes away, and she inherits the motel. From there she has to decide whether she’s ready to grow up and take over the family business, and she’s terrified. Johnny soon teams up with her in the business, renovating the motel and renaming it after both of them, so she sees the Roses aren’t going to abandon her. She is part of the Rose’s found family. Her and David are similar in their bluntness and sarcasm, but Stevie is insecure about never making it out of the town, never being more than a motel desk clerk, never having a long-term romantic relationship. She worries while everyone moves on with their lives, she’s “watching it all happen from behind the desk.”

Dan describes creating Schitt’s Creek as “writing a world that examines the transformational effects of love when the threat of hate and intolerance has been removed from the equation.” While homophobia is often front and center in any media depicting LGBT characters, Schitt’s Creek doesn’t give it as much thought. Where small towns are usually seen as ripe for homophobia, transphobia, and other discrimination, Schitt’s Creek doesn’t fall prey to this trope. Instead, this small town is bursting with love.

Dan purposely made David pansexual (it’s also the only show I’ve seen use the word) to challenge the viewer’s biases and push the boundaries of what it means to be masculine and feminine. David’s parents and others in the town never discuss it as anything strange or bad, it’s something he simply is and as common as the sky being blue. When David tells Stevie about his sexuality (“I like the wine, not the label”), she’s a bit surprised at first because she thought he was gay, but ultimately she doesn’t care.

This doesn’t mean the show never discusses what homophobia can be like, but it comes at it from a different lens.

For example, in “Meet the Parents,” David decides to throw a surprise birthday party for his boyfriend, Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid). What David doesn’t realize is Patrick hasn’t come out to his parents yet, they think David is solely his business partner. He tells David, “I know my parents are good people, I just...can’t shake this fear that there is a small chance that this could change everything.” David himself is prepared for homophobia from Patrick’s parents, but when they tell him they don’t care about that, just that he was hiding such an important part of himself from them, David who’s been trying to stay strong through it all wipes a tear.

“When I found myself in a position to tell stories on a global scale, I seized the opportunity to make a television show that might, in its own way, offer some support, encouragement and love to those who might not have it in their homes or in their schools or in their day to day lives. It’s a place where acceptance incubates joy and creates a clarity that allows people to see themselves and each other more deeply. It’s fiction, yes. But I’ve always been told to lead by example and this felt like a good place to start.”

— Dan Levy

I would be remiss to not touch on the comedic style of the show. This is a comedy that relies heavily on the physicality of its actors. Their facial expressions, accents and tonality, their limp wrists, each create uniquely funny characters with mannerisms unlike any I’ve seen. The cast brought nuance to the characters, when they could have easily fallen into vapid stereotypes.

As season 6 premiered on January 7, Schitt’s Creek is not done yet, and I can’t wait to see how its final season concludes. The characters are all happier now that they are achieving dreams they may not have known they had, they have fulfilling relationships with family and friends, and they all have grown into better people. Schitt’s Creek truly was their saving grace.

I’m in a TV group where we wrote essays on our favorite shows of the 2010s, so here is mine on Schitt’s Creek.

#schitt's creek #television #tv #lgbt #lgbtq #writing #mine #long post #*

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residentlesbrarian · 4 years ago

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The Fourth Book I Read In the Dark: Of Expectations and Other Relatabilities

Of Gryphons and Other Monsters by Shannon McGee

Hey, guys, sooooo...this is aaaawwwkward. I wrote 95% of this review when I wrote the other Books I Read in the Dark series for the blog, but the ADHD hit me and COVID was still you know...a thing! So I am gonna post this review, finished of course, OH, but also pay extra close attention to the conclusion alright! Hmm...this is a bit like a time capsule...here are my concentrated thoughts from 6 months ago while I was slightly delirious on books and darkness. So go forth and uh yeah this one is...you can just feel the feral “I haven’t had access to proper internet so I’ve been curled in the corner like Gollum with my books” energy coming off it so...enjoy?

Okay, so yeah, I really didn’t have a reason to end my last review that way I just wanted to, so sue me for injecting a little excitement into a series of posts about me literally sitting in my house reading nonstop for 2 ½ days, my reviews my rules. Back to manufacturing my own excitement shall we!

It’s Day 2! I’ve just finished my last library book, whatever will I do! I could always reread The Neverending Story for the 1,273rd time, but I have a need. A need for GAY! I rack my brain, there has to be a solution. My town is without power, my local library won’t be open, but then it hits me. It’s so simple! It’s meant to be really! Like the universe knew this was coming and it made sure I was prepared! Like a prepper stockpiling mental SPAM for my stimulus needing ADHD riddled brain! I have an entire shelf of books that I haven’t read yet! Way back in Clexacon 2019 my best friend (Lookin at you @justalifelongphase) gave me way too much money from missed birthdays and Christmases all at once before the con started because the world has deemed it impossible for us to live geographically close to one another. Anyway, I went a little book-buying-crazy and have not had the time or opportunity to read any of them since then. Their time has finally come!

I figured after going full whimsy with The Lost Coast and sci-fi superhero with Dreadnought and Sovereign why not take a dip into more traditional fantasy, also this one was first in line on the shelf, yay for not having to actually make a decision! No more dawdling, let's get right into the review!

Unicorn Rating:

Blurb: Taryn always loves and hates gryphon season. She finds the lesser gryphons more cute than anything but the ever present fear that a greater gryphon might be just out of sight is terrifying, and this gryphon season proves to be the one that will change her and her families lives forever! Just let a girl herd her sheep in peace!

Disclaimer: I will try my best to not spoil anything from the book, but my book loving rambles may give more away than a traditional review. Here we go! Ramble time!

Review:

I genuinely enjoyed this book. It took me a bit longer to get through it than the others, but I think that was a combination of three things: A. I was starting to feel the fatigue of reading so much in such a short amount of time. B. Our local Wal Mart had power restored on Day 3 and our entire household went on a trip to buy non-perishable food stuffs and I was like a solitary confinement prisoner being let out into the yard for the first time in months when my phone picked up a wifi signal and it was a bit hard to get back into the swing of reading after talking to other humans, even virtually, that weren’t imaginary or in my head. C. Our power was finally restored on the afternoon of Day 3 so yet again I was inundated with the draw of technology and all of my friend-os I hadn’t talked to, but the book had drawn me in enough I did the most unmillienial thing and left my phone in a different room to charge while I finished this book before going back to the land of technology and interwebs. That should tell you something.

McGee was able to write this story in a way that pulls you in so you care about what happens to these characters and this little mountain town. You learn just enough about the world to understand where they fit within the overall weave of it, but you aren’t given a Tolkein-esc dissertation on the world lore. I felt the worries and the fears. I was concerned when the routines had to change. I mean she made me care about the freaking sheep! Sheep, people! One of the reasons I think this works so well is we are so firmly rooted in the head of our protagonist, Taryn. Imma use that lovely bridge I just built to skip right on over the plot section of the review to get to the characters first, don’t worry we’ll circle back round to the plot. I always do, but I just wanna talk about my newest set of brain babies.

Taryn is a character that, if the title of this post is anything to go by, I found very very relatable. Now I know relatability can be pretty subjective, some people can latch onto something with the all consuming, “It me!” While others just stare on dead eyed not understanding the appeal. I feel like Taryn could be that kind of protagonist. You are either going to really relate to her or you won’t understand where she is coming from at all. I obviously fall in the former category. I was the quintessential middle child, still am really, though my relationship with my parents has shifted now that I’m an adult. More mutual respect and friendship than parent to child. I always did my best to pick up the slack, if ever there was any, and just tried my best to be as little of a burden as possible to my parents. I see so much of that aspect of myself in Taryn and how she sees her place at the farm and even in the town, she has her place and her role, but those expectations are heavy. One of those expectations being that she will inevitably get married and help take over the farm from her parents and have kids to continue the line. The fact she finds the lesser gryphons that flock near the farm far cuter than any of the local boys that she will eventually have to choose from to fulfill that inevitable expectation is just...sad at best and down right tragic at worst. And her family doesn’t help matters either. They won’t let her forget that she will have to settle down with one of these local boys, a boy who would make a good husband and take good care of her and the farm. She knows that, logically, but she also wants to be in love, like her parents, and she just doesn’t feel like that for any of the boys in town. She doesn’t know how to make those two things line up. It’s a struggle between her head, the obligation of what she has to do, and her heart, what she really wants for her future, to be happy in doing what she has to do. Wow, I went off a little bit there, but this was my long winded way of saying I have never read a protagonist that really captured the utter confusion of being raised in a heteronormative environment without it being drenched in internalized homophobia and fear. Protagonists like this seem to always know something is off but just don’t have the words for it so they just hide it because they know it’s “different” and out of the norm, but Taryn is just livin’ her sheep herding life and ain’t got no time for these boy crazy fools. She knows her mom wants her to find a good boy to court her so she can marry someday but she’s still young. She’ll think about that tomorrow, and she just repeats that ad infinitum. The thought that maybe she doesn’t fancy any of the boys because well...girls...never even occurred to her. It's not how things are done in this small mountain town, not because of homophobia reasons, but just stubborn tradition reasons. We are even told there is a gay couple living in town who are staples in the overall dynamics in town, instrumental even, but the idea of having a lineage, being able to pass your land down is so ingrained no wonder poor Taryn was so in the dark about her own probable gayness till it slapped her in the face. As someone who was raised in a medium sized Oklahoma town...girl I feel you. I was 22 and in the middle of Appalacia, way up in the mountains for college when my gay awakening popped up and said “Hello!” Everything that never quite made sense in my life came into perfect clarity. Not quite what happened with Taryn, but the arrival of Aella surely helped, as pretty girls are want to do. Oh look a segue, good, cause I could talk about Taryn for literal hours and I’ve already gabbed about her too much for this review.

Aella, you smooth motherfucker. Like I wish I could possess a quarter of the smoothness that you do. Like I’m lucky to string sentences together around a pretty girl, but here you are just strutting about being the smoothest of smooth. Honestly, I just...I can’t with you Aella. On a serious note though Aella is a character that served as showing Taryn a glimpse at the world beyond her small mountain town, as much as she had no desire to leave, unlike her brother. Nope, sit down, we’ll get to you, Michael! Oh, we’ll get to you. She’s traveled and has stories from all over and she is fairly open about the fact that she only likes girls, but she doesn’t have land, responsibilities, and a family line to continue. She just gets to live her life the way she choses. And y’all know I am a sap for the hard dark characters that are totally softies underneath that rough exterior. I think Aella was a great foil to Taryn and great at showing her what she could have if she was willing to leave, to stretch what she was allowed to wish for, but of course the biggest issue with her wishing for anything was...Michael.

Michael was such an interesting character. I loved him. I hated him. I wanted to hug him. I wanted to punch him. Again as with the town and the people of the town I was so deep seated in Taryn’s head and feelings that her conflicted feelings about Michael and how he was acting became my feelings on the matter. Not enough to not separate a tad and see what was coming or at least try to predict it as I always do when reading, but emotionally I was right with Taryn the whole way. The one thing that really pushed Michael from just a character I was conflicted about to one I really wanna give a swift kick in the nads to, is that he knew. He knew all about Taryn’s absolute lack of romantic inclinations toward any of the boys in town and her doubts that she would ever find someone to love and marry to take over the farm. He was the only person she confided these fears in and he still selfishly followed his own pursuits with little regard to her or her worries. You sir, are a terrible brother and overall a shit human, so sit your ass down and shut your mouth.

The plot for this book was so embroiled with the characters and their journeys that I can’t talk on it much but the twists at the end and the final climax was very satisfying for me and left me excited to dig into the next book. Also something of note that I didn’t talk about in the character section cause I felt it was dragging on a touch, I really only talked in depth on our three biggest players but there is a very colorful cast of side characters ranging from Taryn’s nervous pony to the boy-who-cried-gryphon neighbor no one can stand to the troupe of hunters led by Aella’s mother to Taryn’s best friend Nia, all of whom play important parts in building that sense of caring about the people of this town and the town itself, which in turn made me deeply care about the outcome of the plot at the heart of the story. And the sheep! The god damn sheep!

One thing I do want to say before my final thoughts is that whoever designed the cover of this book in a genius because as I dug into the story I found myself constantly closing it to spout off about theories of what I thought was happening on the cover and what it all meant, I was kind of reader fatigue delirious for most of those theories but some of them I was right! I might have reenacted the Captain Holt “Vindication” gif IRL just because it felt too good not to. I just love when a “cool” cover turns out to be so much more than that once you’re “in the know”. So yeah, now y’all know to pay attention for that.

My final thoughts on this book are pretty positive. I can tell the author is building us toward so much more, hence the name of the series, Taryn’s Journey, and it feels like it. This is only the beginning and I honestly can’t wait to take the next steps with her.

Queer Wrap-up:

Hey it’s me from the future...present...whatever...so, this is when I stopped writing the review six months ago and there is a reason for that. I, kind of, agonized over what to rate this book on the scale. Multiple times having to call my brother and go back and forth just to then repeat the same arguments with myself as soon as I got off the phone. Now why was this such a hard terrible no good awful back and forth well...SPOILER WARNING...seriously anything past this point will be spoiling some character beats for the majority of the book...okay? We understand one another. DANGER ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE...or you know scroll on.

So, Taryn is never confirmed to be queer in the text of this book. Now you would have to be wearing the tightest hetero goggles in known history not to see the heavy HEAVY subtext saying THIS BITCH GAY! It’s basically a full grown elephant painted sparkly rainbow trying to hide behind a dead shrub aka not hiding at all. I so desperately wanted to give this book four of those darling unicorns but in this rare case I just don’t think I can justify it. We have a protagonist that is still figuring herself out, which is amazing that we get to see that and go on the journey with her. Some of the things Taryn does and thinks are queer coded as hell, especially if it involves Aella who is explicitly gay on the page, but Taryn herself never express whether she herself is queer. Which, fair, other really important and traumatizing things were going on and I love that about her as a character, she didn’t meet Aella and suddenly that was all she could think about. Aella, of course, is representation who I’m counting because even though she shows obvious interest (you smooth motherfucker) in Taryn she is so much more than just a love interest and her character isn’t just boiled down to her sexuality. Now in this wrap up I’m also including the doctor and his husband in the town. They are very minor characters but they give us interesting insights into the town and the people. They are accepted and treated well in town even if some do almost, pity isn’t the right word, but they seem sad that they won’t be able to have any kind of legacy or lineage. As I said in the review it’s not homophobia it’s being stuck in your ways and it’s an interesting take.

Links:

Shannon McGee Website

The Storygraph

Okay so this one is a bit of a mess. Pieces of it were written 6 months apart and most of it was written while I was kind of delirious but hey at least I can say it’s honest. I still stand by everything my past self wrote and I still really enjoy thinking and talking about this book and am excited for whenever I get around to reading the sequel to continue on Tayrn’s journey with her. This is a book I probably would never have known even existed without ClexaCon and trolling through artist alley for literally every table that had books on them. I guess, moral of the day is maybe you won’t just find great books on library shelves but on unassuming convention tables too and it never hurts to look. Trust me, I’m a lesbrarian.

Oh bet you thought this post was over. I did the sign off and everything but oh no no! I have some info and such to impart. I am WELL AWARE these reviews have been fairly inconsistent to down right sporadic. Well, this is just a little info dump letting you guys know I am gonna be putting up one more review after this one that I wrote ages ago and I mean AGES (think years, as in multiple) and just never got around to posting and then the old blog is probably gonna be going through a PLANNED dormancy while some pretty big stuff is coming down the pike. You may notice visual changes and other stuff before anything else is announced but just keep an eye out. To quote the Fates from Hercules, “It’s gonna be big!”

Okay now for the actual sign off, I got shit to do! No one look behind the curtain, it’s a surprise!

#Of Gryphons and Other Monsters #Shannon McGee #resident lesbrarian #3 unicorns #questioning girl #lesbian #heavy wlw romantic subtext #ya novel #ya fantasy #go to your local library #but wear a mask #and wash your hands #and stay 6 feet apart #be safe out there guys gals and nonbinary pals

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