#Lydia Osborn

[elisabethdeep-blog]

When you innocently read a book of poetry and are assaulted with Feelings. I wish My brother had been captured by Indians.

[arionaleilani]

i feel like the characters i relate to most in media should say something about me but i can’t figure out what it says

[abovethegaragepodcast]

Happy Valentine’s Day from The Handmaid’s Tale 106!! 🔥♥️🔥

[astro-tag-9]

The Handmaid’s Tale Astrology

June Osborne - Capricorn Sun, Sagittarius Moon, Aries Rising

Serena Joy - Scorpio Sun, Aries Moon, Taurus Rising

Moira - Aquarius Sun, Pisces Moon, Leo Rising

Nick Blane - Gemini Sun, Scorpio Moon, Capricorn Rising

Luke Bankole - Virgo Sun, Virgo Moon, Gemini Rising

Rita - Taurus Sun, Taurus Moon, Sagittarius Rising

Aunt Lydia - Libra Sun, Cancer Moon, Aries Rising

Fred- Leo Sun, Leo moon, Virgo Rising

Emily - Pisces sun, Capricorn moon, Capricorn Rising

Janine - Cancer Sun, Libra Moon, Leo Rising

[glasskey]

THT Redemption Arcs

I’m going to be running through some story and character analysis for THT in the weeks to come and I’m going to start out by talking a little bit about the difference in redemptive arcs. For those of you who aren’t clear about what a redemption arc is, it’s essentially a story line woven into your characters narrative to enable them to redeem themselves from previous questionable actions. There are some great examples in The Handmaids Tale, almost 100% of our characters are morally grey and they’ve all got a vivid history with a bit of baggage, so we’ve got a lot to choose from. Whenever a character performs a redemption arc, essentially 2 things need to happen for it to be considered complete: Firstly, your character has to truly be sorry and try and make amends. Secondly, other characters have to acknowledge that they are truly sorry and in some respects forgive them. We also have 2 different types of redemption arcs; slow and sudden. Basically, the character will either have an epiphany of all the crappy things that they have done and suddenly beg for forgiveness (usually at the last minute) OR said character will see the error of their ways through slow observation and work to be a better individual. With that in mind let’s take a look at some of our characters and see what kind of redemption arc they have.

Fred: Fred is one of the primary reasons that Gilead even exists, from the word go he was never getting a free pass no matter he did. For Fred, his Achilles heel is his quest for power which is constantly undermined by the impotence he feels at not being able to father a child. Freds desire for power fosters a sense of self entitlement that seeks to enslave June, while his impotence breeds an anger that alienates him from the woman who once loved him. His ego is ultimately his downfall and we see it in all its forms almost to his dying breath. While Fred may have acknowledged what he did was wrong, his attempt at redemption was driven purely by selfish motives and as a result the other characters did not forgive him. Fred attempted a sudden redemption arc and ended up doing an epic face plant. Instead of forgiveness he got an incredibly satisfying smack in the mouth and a “you had this coming” from Nick, and was hunted down and torn to shreds by the object of his desire. Redemption arc: Epic Fail. Result: some serious poetic justice.

Serena: Serena was Freds’ co conspirator so she’s responsible for some pretty heinous stuff, not to mention personally torturing the protagonist. She’s truly Machiavellian and consistently falls into the “sorry, not sorry” camp depending on what day of the week it is, making her attempt at a serious redemption arc difficult to swallow for anyone. Characters with the capacity for this much malice will generally perform a sudden redemption arc toward the end, finally achieving forgiveness, but sacrificing themselves as payment. Oddly the writers have chosen to engage Serena in a slow redemptive arc over the course of season 5, having swallowed some of her own poetic justice. I remain unconvinced, all this bonding with the protagonist, pouting and tears wont erase seasons of cruelty. Serena is a monster who's only sorry she lost her monster pal. Redemption Arc: still in progress, most likely successful. Most likely fatal

Aunt Lydia: Oh Dear. It’s hard to come back from shit this bad, but we know from The Testaments that our favourite super cuddly Aunt with a cattle prod, is due for a redemption arc. Watching The HMT and judging by The Testaments, it appears that she will be performing a slow redemption arc, which serves her purposes as she’s going to be busy working for the resistance. Ultimately the scales of justice demand balance and there’s no way the average viewer / reader would think that it’s a fair deal that she goes back to an ordinary life, once she’s served her purpose. Like Serena its justified she sacrifice herself as payment and there’s also the small matter of Aunt Lydia not being able to forgive herself. This brings me to Janine, I can definitely see Janine being a catalyst for Aunt Lydia’s break with Gilead. The nature of the protagonist in The Handmaids Tale is that she is a lone voice and as such June is what we refer to as “The Final Girl”, the last one left to tell the tale. This does not bode well for Janine. Redemption arc: Ultimately successful (in some respects).

Luke: Let’s face it, no matter which way you slice it, he’s no angel. He cheated on his wife and he left June and Hannah in Gilead because he was scared. What do these two things have in common? Leaving when the chips are down. From the description in Atwood’s text, Luke was always intended as a character who portrayed the casual misogyny that exists in the world. He’s been toned down somewhat for the show but it’s still there, lurking under the facade of our devoted “nice guy”. This is absolutely intentional, he’s described as a “good man” and he is, but there are plenty of times that he falls short and just doesn’t get it. He’s been performing a slow redemption arc over season 5 and it reached a crescendo in episode 10 at the train station when he sacrificed himself for the good of the protagonist. Most notable was the instance where he acknowledged her independence by using her maiden last name. He’s going to have to pay penance for the times he left though and thus the incarceration by Gilead forces. Redemption arc: Still in progress but promises to be successful.

Nick Blaine: I want to be honest about Nick, I love him but he’s done some bad shit. The writers have hinted as much and there’s plenty of evidence. Far from a clean well-mannered lawn boy, Nick Blaine is in fact, shady as fuck. This isn’t a mistake, after all, what good would a clean cut boy be to June when what she actually needed was a dodgy rebel to help her get things done in Gilead? When June says “he helped me to survive”, what she really means is that Nick was a navigator around all the dark dangers of Gilead and you don’t know about those unless you’ve seen them first hand. Nicks been performing a slow redemption arc since the end of season one. He was always good hearted, demonstrating loyalty to a broken family and looking openly distressed over the death of a handmaid. He’s also a bit of a rebel, he doesn’t follow the rules and doesn’t seem to quite fit in, all of this making him ultimately easier to welcome back to an ordinary life when he finally reaches the end of his journey. Nicks redemption arc is interesting because it not only requires other characters to forgive him, but he also needs to forgive himself. He’s been referred to as “a good man in Gilead” for a few seasons now, Tuello also called him “an honourable man”, but the reality is he’s still going to have to prove his loyalty by doing some time undercover. It's his penance. Ep 10 S5 saw Nick Blaine refer to himself as “Nothing”, he feels worthless and he’ll need to forgive himself before he can come home. For Nicks redemption arc to be considered complete he needs to step across the border and stay there. He needs to hold his daughter. Slow redemption arcs generally involve one last battle against your foe and Ep 10 S 5 saw Nick make preparations for his final battle against Gilead.  The walk across the bridge in ep 10 and the deal with Tuello signified a redemption arc construct now fully fortified and nearing completion. Redemption arc: In progress. Promises to be successful. Promises to be fucking epic.

The majority of redemption arcs in THT are slow, the only time I’ve seen a sudden redemption arc attempted, it failed miserably. This says a lot about what the writers actually believe about the nature of redemption; anything less than something that you work towards every day, is an illusion. The writers have worked hard to maintain a level of reality and in the real world, people don’t just immediately forgive you because YOU decided to apologize. You need to earn their trust back and work hard to repair that wound. Sudden redemptive arcs are like the kiss of death, I can’t count the amount of times I’ve watched a character weep with remorse only to die seconds later. Slow redemptive arcs are a bit trickier, your character may survive it or not and this decision is based ultimately on how deep the wound they inflicted is.

[spockvarietyhour]

[weirdesplinder]

Lista di Dark historical romance, ma non troppo

Mi è stata richiesta una lista di romanzi Dark romance, ma storici. In realtà io non amo molto il genere, non lo leggo e quindi non lo conosco in modo approfondito, ma ho comunque preparato uina lista di romance storici in cui il protagonista machile, specie all'inizio, non è proprio una brava persona e avvicina l'eroina con fini nefasti o secondi fini, spesso per usarla per una sua vendetta privata. 

Per altri protagonisti maschili di romance ancora più odiosi di quelli citati in questa lista potete scorrere la mia lista intitolata Romance con protagonisti non proprio simpatici o proprio cattivi: https://weirdesplinder.tumblr.com/post/652161438615486464/romance-con-protagonisti-non-proprio-simpatici-o 

Con lei, protagonista femminile, odiosa mi vengono in mente invece solo due titoli: Shanna, di Kathleen E. Woodwiss, e La magia di un abbraccio (I Romanzi Classic) (Serie Westcot Vol. 2) di Mary Balogh

 Link affiliati dei romanzi citati in questo video:

1. Mio Duca (What I Did For a Duke) di Julie Anne Long

Link acquisto: https://amzn.to/3nfdFlv

Trama: Per anni Alexander Moncrieffe, duca di Falconbridge, ha suscitato paura e al contempo fascino, ma di tutto ciò che si mormora una cosa è certa: solo un pazzo oserebbe mettersi contro di lui. E quando Ian Eversea ignora questa cautela, Moncrieffe sa come vendicarsi: sedurre l’innocente sorella Genevieve per poi abbandonarla, rovinandole così la vita per sempre. Tuttavia la giovane lo sorprende per la passione e il temperamento, anche sapendo che Moncrieffe nasconde un passato oscuro. Così come sa che cedere al desiderio che lui ha risvegliato significa giocare col fuoco. Ma quando a comandare è il cuore…

La mia opinione: Tipico romanzo in cui tutto parte per vendetta e poi tutto cambia. Il Duca di Falconbridge forse non sarà il Duca più affascinante di tutti, ma il modo in cui scopre cosa significhi essere innamorati nonostante si creda troppo esperto e troppo maturo e troppo cinico è veramente dolcissimo e realistico.

2. La pedina scambiata (These old shades) di Georgette Heyer

Link acquisto: https://amzn.to/3rTJfIY

Trama: Nell'aristocrazia inglese del secondo Settecento un solo uomo può fregiarsi del soprannome di Satana: Sua Grazia il Duca di Avon, bello, acuto, elegante e assolutamente privo di scrupoli… soprattutto nei confronti del sesso femminile. Ma il ruolo che impersona con tanta convinzione comincia a stargli stretto quando, per una serie di incredibili circostanze, prende al proprio servizio un giovane paggio… che presto si rivelerà essere un'affascinante e imprevedibile fanciulla, minacciata da un crudele personaggio. Satana si trasforma così nell'Angelo vendicatore, compiendo con grande astuzia le sue mosse su un'infida scacchiera.

La mia opinione:  Il Duca di Avon  è  il prototipo a cui tutte le autrici di romance dopo la Hayer si sono in parte ispirate per i  loro duchi libertini e debosciati. Lui così maturo, cinico, debosciato, che ha provato ogni vizio sulla  faccia della terra, alla fine si scopre affezionato a una ragazza giovane e  vibrante che lo ama così innocentemente e totalmente, e senza timore, nonostante  tutti lo temano. E così Pigmalione si innamorò della sua creazione.

3. L'ultimo libertino (The last hellion) di Loretta Chase

Link acquisto: https://amzn.to/3rY4Ako

Trama: Vere Mallory, duca di Ainswood, il più grande libertino d’Inghilterra, ha dissipato la giovinezza fra alcol e belle donne in una spirale che sembra condurlo al baratro. Finché un giorno due occhi di ghiaccio trafiggono i suoi: sono quelli della bellissima Lydia Grenville, indomita giornalista che si è messa al servizio dei più bisognosi, donne e bambini dei bassifondi. A Vere è sufficiente rubarle un bacio per percepire la passione che si cela in lei, in apparenza fredda e misteriosa. Ma Lydia non può permettersi di cedere alla seduzione di quell’uomo impossibile, fermamente intenzionato a vincere la dura corazza che si è costruita nel corso degli anni. Se solo riuscissero a superare i loro intimi turbamenti, potrebbero finalmente schiudere insieme la porta della felicità…

La mia opinione: Il Duca di Ainswood, è il classico libertino che verrà riformato dalla donna giusta, ma che libertino!

4. Le malizie di un Duca (The Wicked Ways of a Duke) di Laura Lee Guhrke

Link acquisto: https://amzn.to/3ogmRr5

Trama: Prudence Bosworth conduce una vita modesta ma dignitosa, lavora come sarta e interviene ai balli dell’alta società solo per realizzare i piccoli rammendi dell’ultimo momento. È durante una di queste serate che incontra Rhys de Winter, l’affascinante duca di St Cyres, l’uomo più bello che abbia mai visto: l’uomo dei suoi sogni. Ma irraggiungibile per una ragazza come lei. Tutto però cambia quando Prudence, alla morte di quel padre che non ha mai conosciuto, si ritrova unica erede di un’immensa fortuna. E la corte che Rhys comincia a riservarle sembra solo una coincidenza…

La mia opinione: Anche qui lui ha secondi fini per corteggiare lei, quindi all'inizio è bastardello.

5. Duca dei miei peccati (The Duke of sin) di Elizabeth Hoyt

Link acquisto: https://amzn.to/2Xiy6TP

Trama: Bridget, figlia illegittima di lady Caire cresciuta in una famiglia di contadini, si è fatta assumere come governante a Hermes House dove intende cercare le prove per incriminare il padrone e famigerato duca di Montgomery, Valentine Napier. Val, affascinante e privo di scrupoli, tiene sotto ricatto buona parte dell’alta società londinese, tra cui la madre di lei. Sorpresa a rovistare nella sua camera, Bridget riesce a esercitare sul duca il fascino della sua purezza e bontà d’animo, e sceglie di rimanere al suo fianco per redimerlo. Nel turbinio della passione, anche l’inflessibile duca scopre sentimenti capaci di sfidare tutte le convenzioni…

La mia opinione: Poteva mancare un Duca veramente bastardo in lista? Certo che no. Valentine è privo di scrupoli e pieno di difetti, ma super hot e il libro è veramente avvincente. Passionale.

6. Magnifica preda (So worthy my love) di Kathleen E. Woodiwiss https://amzn.to/3v1ydCY

Trama: E’ un epoca d'intrighi e tradimenti. Nell'Inghilterra turbolenta di Elisabetta I convivono i lussuosi balli a corte, la miseria degli stati più bassi della popolazione e gli orrori perpetrati dentro la Torre di londra. Una notte la giovane, bella e innocente Elise Radborne scompare dalla proprietà dello zio. Si ritrova prigioniera in un tetro castello di pietra e il suo rapitore è Maxim, un uomo affascinante e ipnotico che ha molti motivi per detestare la famiglia di origine del suo tenero ostaggio. Nonostante l'ostilità che sulle prime caratterizza il loro rapporto, tra Elise e Maxim nasce ben presto un sentimento che troverà molti ostacoli…

La mia opinione: Uno dei miei preferiti della Woodwiss. Forse il più divertente e piacevole. Mi ricorda a tratti La bisbetica domata di Shakespeare. La protagonista, una ragazza giovane ma con un bel caratterino viene rapita per sbaglio al posto della cugina (o sorella ora non ricordo). Il rapitore poverino non sa che farsene della donna sbagliata e pensa di ospitarla per un pò per poi restituirla ma senza secondi fini. Quindi anche se è di fatto un rapitore non è poi malvagio, ma ciò che lo spinge è comunque sempre la vendetta come vale per molti protagonisti di questa lista.

7. Il lupo e la colomba (the wolf and the dove) di Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

https://amzn.to/3rthu9K

Trama: Inghilterra, 1066. La colomba è Aislinn, la bella e fiera figlia del signore di Darkenwald. Il lupo è l'uomo che l'ha fatta prigioniera: Wulfgar, un valoroso guerriero di Guglielmo il Conquistatore. L'unico sentimento che una schiava può provare per il suo padrone è la vendetta. Ma fra i due giovani sorge una passione travolgente, che non si fermerà nemmeno davanti a ostacoli che sembrano insormontabili.

La mia opinione: che un conquistatore abbia pietà per chi tiene prigioniero non esiste, specie nell'epoca in cui è ambientato il libro, quindi tutte le prevaricazioni di lui sono realistiche purtroppo e coerenti. E il romanzo resta un gran bel romanzo con un ottimo approfondimento dei personaggi.

8. Il fiore e la fiamma (The flame and the flower) di Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

https://amzn.to/3l1ZW25

Trama:  Londra, 1799. La giovane e bella Heather è in fuga dopo avere commesso un efferato crimine per difendere la propria virtù. Troverà rifugio sulla nave del capitano Birmingham, in partenza per le Americhe, dove l'aspetta una nuova vita. Ma prima di approdare nel Nuovo Mondo, Heather dovrà difendersi dalla torbida passione del capitano e dai travolgenti sentimenti che le ispira.

La mia opinione:  Questo romanzo presenta senza dubbio due personaggi principali ben caratterizzati anche se Heather è forse un pò troppo debole all'inizio, ci sta che sia così visto l'epoca. Meno digeribile per me è invece il Capitano Birmingham all'inizio molto duro e chiuso. E anche la scena d'amore non …consensuale…della prima parte mi è ostica.  La protagonista ne subisce davvero troppe nelle prime pagine per poter leggere il libro con animo sereno. Almeno questo vale per me, ma ripeto è un bel romanzo, scritto bene. E forte come carattere. E poi il protagonista maschile si fa perdonare…..peccato che io al contrario della protagonista femminile non perdoni facilmente….ma passiamo oltre.

9. TUTTO CAMBIERA’ (Silver lining) di Maggie Osborne https://amzn.to/3uZatzc

Trama: La corsa all'oro è stata un abbaglio che ha colpito molti uomini , ma anche qualche donna. Una di queste è Low Down, che è finita sulle Rockies, ad estrarre il prezioso minerale vestita di stracci e ridotta ad un essere che definire femminile sarebbe alquanto difficile. Non c'è spazio su quelle aspre montanee per bei vestiti o dolcezza, solo duro lavoro dalla mattina alla sera, ma l'animo generoso della donna è sopravvissuto a quella dura vita e quando il piccolo gruppo di disperati cercatori viene colpito dalla malattia è lei che si prende cura di loro instancabilmente salvandoli tutti. Quelli sono uomini cinici e duri, ma pur sempre umani e concordano tutti che l'abnegazione di Low Dow deve essere premiata., perciò si riuniscono e le chiedono quale sia la cosa che più desidera al mondo. Sorprendendoli tutti la donna non nomina l'oro o qualche altra cosa materiale, ciò che vuole è un bambino. Poichè fra gli uomini c'è anche un ministro di Dio viene deciso che per avere un bambino Low deve avere un marito e tirano a sorte per decidere chi tra loro sarà lo sfortunato, visto l'aspetto non proprio pulito e affascinante di Low. La sorte decide che tocchi a Max McCord l'onore di sposarla. Proprio Max che a casa sua in pianura ha ad attenderlo una fidanzata. Poichè gli altri lo minacciano di morte non ha altra scelta che sposare Low, ed entrambi concordano che sarà solo un matrimonio temporaneo….

La mia opinione: Di questo libro mi è piaciuto molto l'inizio, la prima parte sulle montagne, meno la parte centrale, e abbastanza la parte finale. Il giudizio è positivo, intendiamoci, ma il personaggio maschile mi è stato abbastanza antipatico poichè tratta la protagonista femminile malissimo. Ok lei non è bellissima, ma gli ha salvato la vita, caspita, un pochino di gratitudine all'inizio sarebbe apprezzata. Poi anche in seno alla sua famiglia le cose non migliorano molto, ci vuole molto tempo affinchè lui apra gli occhi sulle qualità della moglie. Non parliamo poi della sua fidanzata che all'inizio mi è stata odiosa. ….. Il libro mi è piaciuto, ma meno di altri per colpa di alcun personaggi, e alla fine lui si sarebbe meritato di perdere Low perchè non la meritava! O almeno doveva strisciare e scusarsi per un anno!

10. PRINCIPE DI SPADE (Prince of swords), di Anne Stuart https://amzn.to/3tZ04lr

Trama: Jessamine Maitland legge i tarocchi e, notte dopo notte, predice il futuro nei salotti di Londra. Finché una sera “scopre” l’identità del Gatto, il temerario ladro che da mesi ruba gioielli e preziosi dalle case più ricche della città: Alistair MacAlpin, conte di Glenshiel. Intuendo di essere stato smascherato, Alistair vede una sola via d’uscita: sedurre Jess.

11. Il velo della notte, di Lydia Joyce

Trama:  1800. Inghilterra. Un conte misterioso vive quasi recluso nel suo maniero. Una nobildonna va a trovarlo per salvare dai debiti il fratello. Il conte le propone un patto. Lei accetta e così due vite segnate dal dolore e dalla solitudine si incontrano. Entrambi non più giovanissimi, entrambi pieni di ricordi dolorosi e di rimpianti. Riusciranno a guarirsi a vicenda?

La mia opinione: il protagonista maschile ha una malattia che lo costringe a rifuggire la luce del giorno ma questo non scusa il fatto che ricatti la protagonista per avere la sua compagnia. L'inizio del romanzo quindi non è molto lusinghiero nei suoi confronti, ma poi scopriremo che non è una cattiva persona.

Per altri protagonisti odiosi potete anche consultare la mia  Lista di Romance con protagonisti maschili che si fanno odiare: https://youtu.be/_ytDrPfCbRY?si=fThg0kBMj8B7ZqDP

[the-osborn-way]

Just realizing that almost all of my favorite fictional characters are INFPS

Or INFJs

Plus, the wonderful human Gerard Way, they're not fictional though-

HOW did I not realize that a lot of my favorites were my MBTI type-

[bo-kryzze]

THE HANDMAID'S TALE 3.13 "Mayday"

[meu-fragil-miocardio]

O melhor livro e série!

[theshadowrealmitself]

It’s my sis’ birthday this week and I’m visiting, so per her request, we’re watching Teen Wolf cause she’s recently gotten super into it, and despite it always being in my peripheral, I absorbed nothing about the actual plot before this apparently, so here’s my thoughts so far (on episode 9):

• That’s Stiles?? I knew there was a Stiles Stilinksi, but I thought he’d look different?

• I actually apparently only knew what Derek looked like, and thought they all looked like that

• I do not give a fuck about Allison, like I don’t hate her, but I don’t like her, and the fact that there’s so much of her is making me hate her, like when you just can’t escape a pop song you’re indifferent to, also I hate her family even tho that’s not her fault

• They didn’t really do a lot to establish much before Scott became a werewolf, so it’s not as engaging as it could’ve been, like Jackson and Lydia suddenly hanging out with them, just because they befriended Allison and she likes Scott??

We should’ve gotten way more of just anything beforehand?? Like his relationship with his mom, who claims it’s deteriorating, even tho we’ve only seen it strained the whole time

• Derek is hilarious just because he’s so intense and so, so unhelpful, I love that he just makes me think of a character who’s destined to be a vampire, but got turned into a werewolf, but still stuck to the vamp vibes

• Jackson is growing on me because he reminds me of James Franco as Harry Osborn in a way

• These teachers are so weird, I love it

• Really thought Stiles was the main character, didn’t know shit about Scott

• I wanna know so badly who the alpha is but my sister refuses to tell me and I’m not allowed to look it up so it better be a great reveal

I have more thoughts but my sister is glaring at me so I have to put my phone down and focus on the show

[creelkobblelaufeyson69]

Who in currently writing for and taking requests for *WILL GET UPDATED*

1. Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton’s)

2. Wolf Jackson

3. Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton’s)

4. Norman Osborn

5. Delores (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)

6. Bobby Hicks

7. Adrien Toomes

8. Agatha Harkness

9. Rio Vidal

10. Dale Kobble

11. The Janitor (Willy’s Wonderland)

12. Adam Barrett

13. Quentin Beck

14. Otto Octavious

15. Logan Howlett

16. Wade Wilson (NOT THE KILLER)

17. Steve Rodger’s

18. Charles Xavier

19. Paddy (Speak no evil)

20. John Labat

21. Tenth Doctor

22. Fourteenth Doctor

23. Edward Scissorhands

24. Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp’s)

25. Emily (Corpse Bride)

26. Sweeny Todd

27. Sebastian Shaw

28. Robot Montague Renfield (from Renfield ofc)

29. Dracula (Nicolas Cage’s ofc)

30. Lee Harker

31. Rose Tyler

32. Ruby Sunday

33. Loki Laufeyson

34. Sam Carpenter

35. Eleventh Doctor

36. Crowley (Good Omens)

37. Peter Vincent

38. Marc Specter

39. Steven (moon knight)

40. Harry Hart

41. Jack Daniels

42. Skye Riley

43. Joel from the movie Smile

44. Wanda Maximoff

45. Joey from Abigail

46. Lydia Deetz

47. Sienna Shaw

48. Art The Clown

49. Sidney Prescott

50. Billy Loomis

51. Stu Macher

52. Dewey Riley

53. Vince Schneider

54. Tiffany Valentine

55. Maxine

56. Mr Reed

57. Simon (Dinner In America)

58. Dr Godwin Baxter

[opera-ghosts]

„GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG“ R. WAGNER / first act „Brünnhilde! Schwester! Schläfst oder wachst du?“ Some Waltrautes.

Rosette Anday as Waltraute; Vienna, ?

Adrienne Kraus-Osborne as Waltraute; Bayreuth, ?

Jane D'Hasty as Waltraute; Brussels, 1901

Georgette Bastien as Waltraute; Brussels, 1902

Karin Branzell as Waltraute; Bayreuth, ?

Mme. Charles Cahier as Waltraute; Munich, ?

Irene von Chavanne as Waltraute; Dresden, ?

Charlotte Dahmen as Waltraute; Munich, ?

Marie Goetze as Waltraute; Berlin, ?

Cyrena van Gordon as Waltraute; Chicago, ?

Gabriela Horvatova as Waltraute; Prague, ?

Lydia Kindermann as Waltraute; ?, ?

Ernestine Schumann-Heink as Waltraute; Bayreuth, 1914

Emmi Leisner as Waltraute; Berlin, ?

Klaudia Tugarinova as Waltraute; Moscow, 1913

Otilie Metzger-Lattermann as Waltraute; Bayreuth, ?

Margarete Matzenauer as Waltraute; Bayreuth, ?

Margarete Klose as Waltraute; Bayreuth, ?

Sigrid Onegin as Waltraute; Bayreuth, ?

Luise Willer as Waltraute; Munich, ?

Camilla Kallab as Waltraute; Bayreuth, 1942

Irmgard Barth as Waltraute; ?, ?

[abovethegaragepodcast]

The way Nick looks at June as he reads the Corinthians verse about love in front of the whole household 💗

[leilawhittaker]

MMCU + Fic Covers!

Mirror Mirror, an Avengers fic starring Leila Whittaker

ft. Hayden Christensen as Clint Barton and Evan Rachel Wood as Natasha Romanoff

The Other Side of the War, a multi-marvel fic starring Rebecca Barnes

Everybody Else’s Girl, a multi-marvel fic starring Jace Barton

ft. Simon Baker as Ulysses Bloodstone and Gratiela Brancusi as Wanda Maximoff

You’re On Your Own, Kid, a multi-marvel fic starring Jace Barton

Out of the Woods, a Black Widow fic starring Alex Romanoff

Dancing With Our Hands Tied, a Thor: Ragnarok fic starring Alex Romanoff

New York Minute, a Doctor Strange-Spider-Man fanfic starring Saoirse, Aiden and Haven Hendrix

ft. Naomi Scott as OC Sita Strange, Thomas Doherty as Harry Osborn, and Nicola Coughlan as Gwen Stacy

The Lightbringer Legacy, a Defenders fic starring Jezebel Murdock

ft. Andre Dae Kim as Danny Rand and Holland Roden as @notaboutcat's OC and my goddaughter Tessa Nolan

On Each Other’s Team, a fic loosely inspired by Agents of SHIELD starring Riley Branson and Vira Kovaleva

ft. Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Daisy Johnson

Apres Moi, Le Deluge, an Inhumans fic starring Cassia Amaquelin

The Edge of Glory, a Guardians of the Galaxy fic starring Adira Dragozera and Lyra Dash

Sound & Fury, an Ant-Man fic starring Lydia Forbes

BONUS:

Gods and Monsters, a prequel fic going over Leila’s backstory pre-SHIELD

Mirror, Mirror: The Ultimate Guide, aka the wattpad fic I use to post playlists etc

TAGLIST: @arrthurpendragon @notaboutcat (lmk if you'd like to be added!

Credit:

Adelaide Kane png

Barbie Ferreira png

[glasskey]

Nick & June's Mixtape Vol. 4

All hail Noirvember. Of course it’s only right that we celebrate it’s passing for the year, with a Mixtape from the first half of Season 4. It brought us a classic noir style entrance, a fight for survival and an unforgettable farewell.

I'm Trying to Keep You Alive

This is easily one of my aesthetically favourite scenes from the Handmaid’s Tale. It’s dripping with classic noir shots and character poses, and features the sniper circle that comes full circle at the end of season 4, with the handmaid’s torch beams as they enthusiastically slaughter Fred. It’s easy to forget that this is the first time June’s seen Nick in almost a year, and that the last time she saw him was when she first learnt about his role in the Sons of Jacob. The guard’s death is a clear statement; Nick is no longer the cocky boyish driver she once knew, he is now dangerous and powerful, commanding a team of snipers with a mere swipe of his fingers. “I’m not leaving you” the guard says immediately before he is cut down by a bullet, a premonition of Nick and June’s separation throughout seasons 4 and 5 as he tried to “move on”.

June lies on the ground, covered in blood, eyes darting around into the pitch dark. Nick appears, a faceless figure accompanied by a death squad, demanding the location of the Handmaids. There’s an aura of dread, and then suddenly Blaine steps into the light, kneels down and briefly brushes her shoulder with his fist. “I’m trying to keep you alive” he whispers, it’s a warning and also a secret reassurance that, as always, he’s there to hold the Gilead wolves at bay.

A tear rolls down her face, he’d lied to her or at least not told her the truth about the Sons of Jacob, can she trust him? Then as he whispers to her and their eyes meet, she understands why HE of all people is there. Here in the darkness their secret bond still exists, she slides her hand away from the gun.

As she rises to her feet and looks in his eyes, a blinding light floods them both as snipers swarm. They’re surrounded, and yet to one another they are the only two people that exist in that moment. It’s been an eternity but the man she loves is there, changed but always there.

The dark aura suggests he could have become just another part of Gilead’s killing machine, but as this confirmation of secret devotion and trademark illumination in one another’s presence tells us, his loyalties remain squarely with Osborn.

The Strength of His Might

The looming brutalist grey building Osborn is carted into here, in the back of the van tells us in no uncertain terms that yes folks, it’s torture time. The doors open, it’s a barren concrete hallway and there’s no escape. But there IS Nick, and as he steps up he tenderly removes the restraint from around her neck, caressing it, a sign that he will save her neck from the figurative noose.

He fucked up, he can tell she knows who is now, what he’s done and he’s going to have to promise, to SWEAR he’s on her side. He kneels down as a pledge of his fealty to her that mirrors the moment at the end of season 1 when she revealed her pregnancy. She remains gagged, it’s a sign that she’s resolved to keep her mouth shut and without his help, she WILL die. While Nick has paid her the courtesy here of asking her to “Please let me help you”, the reality is he’s not going to give her the choice. He’ll help her whether she likes it or not. Nick knows that while he may have a bit of pull, he only gets one vote on a board of many Commanders, and they WILL kill her if she does not give up the goods; regardless of the fact that scarcity has suddenly increased her value as a handmaid.

As Aunt Lydia appears in the background proclaiming to be Osborn’s “Guardian Angel”, Blaine unleashes one of his trademark bible quotes from the passage The Armor of God. As usual Blaine’s giving us double the value at half the price here, with a veiled message for Osborn about personal strength and faith as protection against evil forces, all the while appearing to pledge allegiance to Gilead. No sooner had he turfed June from the van into Aunt Lydia’s clutches, than he was busy twisting Lawrence’s arm to get her out of them.

He’s not to be denied either, Lawrence owes him a favor and it’s time to cough up. There’s some subtle back and forth over firelight and whiskey here but the long and short of it is that Lawrence’s position is still precarious and Blaine won’t hesitate to rip out the rug if he doesn’t comply. Lawrence recognizes this desperate longing in the young commander, he loved and lost Eleanor, and he’s acutely aware of just how bad June can be for the health of the men in her life. But as we all know, Nick doesn’t give a fuck about his own neck and sure enough Lawrence does as he’s bid.

While Nick may have gotten what he wanted, he’s also revealed to Lawrence that Osborn is his ultimate Achilles Heel. There is nothing he won’t do, no arm he won’t twist and as we later learn, no commander he won’t kill for her. Lawrence is constantly making mental notes for his future 3D chess games and while Nick may have won the day, he definitely lost the war. Lawrence proceeds to spend the next 2 seasons using Nick to his advantage with Osborn as his lure.

She Loves You. I Love You.

At the end of Episode 3 June is transported from the brutalist realm of Gilead torture central to a picturesque pastoral setting. Sure, she’s unceremoniously shoved from the van by The Eyes but never mind, because guess who’s stopped by? Nick is waiting in the middle of a large ageing wooden bridge, its arched beams are reminiscent of the interior of an ancient church. June walks in slow steps like a bride down an aisle as Nick stands like a groom waiting for her.

Notably in this scene Nick is standing almost to the other side of the bridge, metaphorically he still hasn’t quite switched sides yet but he’s well on his way. For a moment the darkness of Gilead is gone, the menacing sound of barking dogs has been replaced with the sound of birds and a gentle stream, an aura of eternal romanticism permeating the air. It’s a gorgeous illustration of the escapism and solace these two find in one another.

Ah if only life for Nick and June were that simple, unfortunately the reality is that June’s hands are still bound, her “wedding dress” is a Handmaids uniform and Nick is still dressed in his dapper commander garb…..these two aren’t getting married, once again they’re saying goodbye. As Nick assures her that both himself and her daughter, love her, she spies the red handmaid van inching stealthily down the drive behind his back. It’s a reminder that every moment of comfort these two have ever known, has been invaded by the spectre of Gilead.

There’s a sense of true desperation in the way they touch foreheads here, their minds clinging to one another, perhaps for the last time. As she rips herself away, June suddenly has her “fuck it” moment. If this is the last time they see one another, and it well might be, she’ll let him go on her own terms. Aunt Lydia can wait in the van and cattle prod be damned.

As the music swells and the camera spins we get a glimpse into the dizzying heights of their romance. It’s intentionally intoxicating and indulgent and true to nature, heartbreakingly fleeting.

I’ll be back with more Hitlists, Playlists and Mixtapes soon. Until then you can find the others on my page.