#Riley is anarchist kill

[catgirl-kaiju]

song i'm sharing for no particular reason :)

[fallingtowers]

so i've been thinking about season 4 lately, and i've got this theory that adam is actually a good villain.

ok, before i'm flayed alive for my apostasy, lemme qualify that statement. i can't pretend s4 is my favorite season of btvs by any means, but i gotta give credit where it's due -- it's got more going on underneath the hood than you might think.

s4 is all about purpose and direction. it's about the characters changing tracks and trajectories, bumping up against the questions of who they are and who they're gonna be. obviously this is a recurring theme on buffy (it is a coming-of-age story, after all), but it's never more front-and-center than here, where much of the cast is crossing perhaps the clearest line between childhood and adulthood in usamerican society -- fitting, considering the show itself has lost a large part of its established framework and is now trying to establish a new status quo.

let's take a look at what the characters are up to during s4. the kids have graduated; buffy and willow are starting college. willow's relationship with oz ends, and she spends a decent chunk of the season coming to terms with her feelings for tara and her identity as a lesbian. xander's looking for work, with an emphasis on looking -- before he settles on construction, he spends some time drifting from job to job, never quite sure what he wants to do. giles is out of work too and spends much of the season struggling to fill his days. the scoobies as a group are scattered and directionless, unsure of their places in the world.

the list goes on. riley's whole arc is about losing his bedrock purpose and having to find a new one; "no sir, i'm an anarchist" may be a lame-ass line, but it is very thematically significant. spike gets chipped and finds he can't kill people anymore, and so now what is he good for? and then he realizes he can still hurt demons, and his trajectory for the remainder of the show is set. anya, talking about her career as a vengeance demon, gets a very telling line in "restless": "well, you know how i miss it. i'm so at loose ends since I quit." even faith's brief appearance in this season sees her struggling with questions of purpose and (in a particularly on-the-nose example) identity.

of course, since it's btvs we're talking about, all this is reflective of what buffy is going through (remember, this is the season that makes explicit the metaphor of the core scoobies as different parts of buffy's psyche). buffy's in a transitional period; she's going from high school to college, from her mom's house to a dorm room. she's struggling to adjust, and the show takes pains to provide her with things to struggle to adjust to. at the end of the first episode of the season, she says college is "turning out to be a lot like high school," but this statement is immediately undercut by the first appearance of the initiative.

say what you will about the initiative plotline, it makes a lot of thematic sense. there's a lot of very intentional contrast between the slayer and the initiative; where the slayer bloodline is ancient and mystical, its roots lost to history, the initiative is sleek and modern. its rife with purpose -- and, sure, to be fair, that purpose is absolutely clandestine and sinister, but it's unmistakably there. from its first appearance in "the freshman," there's a sense that the initiative is working towards some unknown goal.

sunday's gang and the initiative occupy different roles in the story, of course -- one's a straightforward group of enemies of the kind we (and buffy!) have grown to expect, while the other is a much thornier and less straightforward kind of problem. the way the show trades the former for the latter, not to mention the way the latter takes prisoner a member of the former, is of course very intentional, a way to reinforce the upset of the status quo. still, we can read both groups as representative of the same metaphor: the idea that buffy's been thrust into a world in which she feels she alone doesn't know what she's doing, but everyone else seems to know exactly what they're doing and where they belong. in a word, it's buffy's first true brush with adulthood.

buffy eventually aligns herself with the initiative, but even then, she remains the odd one out. she's a better fighter than any of them, but their methodology and aesthetic make her seem antiquated (see walsh's "we thought you were a myth" line), and she can't figure out their jargon or their militaristic command structure. try as she might to fit in, she just can't seem to be who they want her to be.

compare this with adam.

much hay has already been made about how well or (much more commonly) how poorly adam works as a character, and i won't bother to relitigate all that stuff here. yeah, walsh's exit is abrupt and unsatisfying, and yeah, adam lacks the personal connections to the rest of the cast that made her such an effective villain, and yeah, god help me, he does have a disk drive in his chest. i'm not gonna argue that there aren't big flaws with the execution of the initiative plotline generally and adam specifically, but i will argue that there's some really interesting thematic conversation going on between adam and the season at large.

s4 has this throughline of various characters inhabiting various personas. this is sometimes voluntary and sometimes not; it usually involves the character becoming stronger or more competent or more carefree or otherwise "better." of course, btvs as a whole is very preoccupied with identity, so s4 is not alone in this -- "halloween" and "band candy" spring to mind as examples of the kind of thing i'm talking about here, and of course e.g. riley pretending to be an ordinary person is something we've been watching buffy do for three seasons now -- but i'd argue that it's even more prevalent in s4 than elsewhere in the show. there's cathy pretending to be human in "living conditions"; veruca in "wild at heart" suggesting that the wolf is oz's true self and that "this human face is just your disguise," and oz telling willow that "i don't know where that line is anymore between me and [the wolf]"; buffy's transformation in "beer bad"; giles's transformation in "a new man"; faith and buffy switching bodies in "who are you?"; the entirety of "superstar." towards the end of the season, after adam reanimates forrest as a half-demon, forrest says, "i'm surging with life and strength [...] this is the best thing that ever happened to me."

it isn't, of course. in fact, most if not all of these forays into being someone else end badly. they're explorations of who the characters are and who they might (like to) become, and they all seem to point to the same conclusion: you can pretend to be someone else, but sooner or later you're going to have to be yourself, whoever that might be.

so who's adam?

the show asks this question at least a couple different times, in a couple different ways. this first happens in "goodbye iowa," when adam himself asks, "what am i?" later on, in "restless," buffy comes at the question from a different angle by asking adam's human half his name. the answers the show gives to these questions are telling. in "goodbye iowa," adam is told he's a monster ("i thought so," he replies). in "restless," his human half says, "before adam? not a man among us can remember."

who is adam? well, he's no one. he's a monster, a frankenstein, a thing remade and stripped of all its past identifiers. he wasn't born, but built, and this is crucial. this is the thing that makes him superior as a villain to professor walsh in at least one respect. for all their secrecy and sinister aims, the initiative's soldiers and scientists are human. they, like the demons they capture, are messy, alive, with no inborn reason for being. adam is different. in a season that's all about the search for purpose, he stands out as the only character to have been purpose-built. one of his most important lines imo comes from "superstar," where he says: "i'm aware [...] no one -- no human, no demon -- has ever been as awake and alive as i am. you are all just shadows."

in the end, buffy and her friends defeat adam by means of the enjoining spell, but the spell is just a metaphor for the actual reason they win. this is the moment i was talking about above, the moment where the scoobies-as-parts-of-buffy metaphor is made explicit, and it is itself a metaphor for them accepting and affirming not only their roles in buffy's life, but also their identities at large. see, it's not enough for xander to say he's the heart, or willow the spirit, or giles the mind; they have to believe it. so here we are, at the end of this awkward bumpy transitional season, which our characters have spent figuring out who they aren't anymore and who they might be and who they want to be, and in this moment, they know. and now that they do, they mop the floor with adam, because in the end, he's not much more than a machine. he's never chosen who he should be, it has only ever been decided for him -- but buffy and her friends are human, so they can decide for themselves. at the beginning of the episode, adam says, "once you [...] embrace your destiny as I have, you will know power you've never dreamed of" -- but in a show so centered around free will and choice and the struggle to make meaning in an uncaring and chaotic world, of course there's no real power in a destiny that's been chosen for you. of course choosing for yourself who you're going to be is the most powerful thing you could do.

[indecentpause]

The Black & Blues: Musical Inpsiration

this is a little playlist I made of the kinds of music The Black & Blues would play! it's a mix of ska, punk, pop punk, and more! just imagine all of these songs played as ska covers and you'll get the gist of what their music is like. :)

this is a living playlist so music is being added all the time! this is the tracklist at the date of this posting. please accept this as my apology for forgetting to update yesterday. ;-;

bomb the music industry! - side projects are never successful // css - music is my hot, hot sex // trashbag ponchos - you never asked for this // the orion experience, orion, linka xo - the cult of dionysus // dog park dissidents - s*xual // super cassette - be gay, do drugs, hail satan // against me! - i was a teenage anarchist // they might be giants - the communists have the music // cheekface - "listen to your heart." "no." // days n daze - my darling dopamine //

the format - tune out // world / inferno friendship society - only anarchists are pretty // big d and the kids table - doped up on dollies on a one way ticket to blood // the war lovers - steal shit from walmart // pansy division - i'm gonna be a slut // dog park dissidents - rev your motor // the interrupters - title holder // atom and his package - i am downright amazed at what i can destroy with just a hammer //defiance, ohio - i'm against the government //

five iron frenzy - get your riot gear // bis - kill yr boyfriend // fire ant season - steal from walmart // mischief brew - bury me in analog // worriers - yes all cops // bad moves - cool generator // le tigre - punker plus // green day - king for a day // troy's bucket - chad likes goth girls // riley! - fight milk! // rocket surgeons - whistle //

hummusvacuum - steal from corporations // ghost mice - free pizza for life // the garages - we'll suck forever // gender chores - night in the woods // afi - i wanna get a mohawk (but mom won't let me get one) // liam lynch - happy // the interrupters feat. rancid - got each other // the vandals - if the government could read my mind // they might be giants - damn good times // sam stone - call acab //

the northern boys - f the world // skatune network feat. jer - i'm not okay (i promise) // sesamoid - adventricular // john daues - piece of trash // liam lynch- united states of whatever // death - politicians in my eyes // spoonboy - stab yer dad // night gaunts - trippin' in the basement // destructo disk - you're standing on my neck // big d and the kids table - l.a.x // night gaunts - post party depression

escape from the zoo - learnin' curve // kitsch club - 12 foot home depot skeleton // confetti - right now // good charlotte - little things // the npcs - we're all dudes // doug & the beets - bangin' on a trash can // shayfer james - good life // bug hunter - shocking plot twist // five iron frenzy - oh, canada // playboy manbaby - you can be a fascist too // dead kennedys - nazi punks fuck off // mischief brew - thanks, bastards! // good charlotte -lifestyles of the rich and famous // goldfinger - 99 red balloons // the orion experience, orion, linda xo - blood & money // the dollyrots - twist me to the left

cut into smaller chunks to make the titles easier to read :)

listen here on spotify!

read it here on ao3!

Current taglist: @abalonetea @only-book-lovers-left-alive @poore-choice-of-words @leadhelmetcosmonaut @jasperygrace

@drippingmoon @athenswrites @magic-is-something-we-create @idreamonpaper @winterandwords

@revenantlore @mr-orion

Black & Blues taglist: @lynnedwardswrites

let me know if you want to be added or removed on either list!

[grimm-tales-gamer]

Fallen Hero: Sidestep 6

This one is definitely one close to my heart due to how differently the route went compared to how I thought it was going to go. Went a completely different direction.

Name: Riley Rivers

Gender: none ya… none ya business. They/them work fine as pronouns

Villain name: Retribution

Villainous role: anarchist

Motivation: revenge

Scar: friendless

Reason for gala: fight the rangers

Where are they now?: broken in both spirit and body. Left at the rangers hospital.

   I know I say this for a lot of my sidesteps but, Riley in particular is a mess. I originally made them to be one of my “softsteps” but they made poor decision after poor decision. Not to mention them slowly loosing control due to them constantly opening gates (think they are at 4 or 5 now?). Riley is definitely one my more tragic sidesteps. They tried so hard to be the “vigilante on the wrong side of the law” but they tripped and fell on their face.

   Riley’s reason for doing this is essentially: I’m going to be the hero that I never had. Now, does that clash with their revenge motivation? Maybe, possibly, but they just want to make sure what happened to them never happens again. To anyone. They are willing to kill, but they made a promise to 1. Always save people who are grave danger 2. Never kill unless necessary. They broke the second promise at the casino, with the amount of gates open they killed some people there and became known as a murderer. It did not end well for Riley.

   Before we continue, we should talk about Riley’s relationships. Riley helps the rangers out as much as they can, using the knowledge and street contacts to get the rangers what they need. They feel guilty over not being able to connect with their old friends due to their scar and see helping out as a way to make them feel less guilty. They get along best with Ortega (Julia) and Herald. Julia and Riley were an item back in the day and reignited their relationship early in Retribution. I don’t think Riley’s love for Julia is healthy. They saw Julia as their rival until after the gala. Realizing that Julia really didn’t know that Riley was alive and didn’t abandon them, Riley decided to give into what they wanted and start over again; now seeing their former self as their rival. Steel and Riley are complicated sort of… friendship? They still don’t get along but they don’t argue as much anymore.. maybe they are both just too tired to argue like they used to. Riley gets along with the other rangers, they basically have no relationship with Argent other then “oh, they’re here.” And they are Herald’s coach, they don’t really have an interest in a friendship with either of them.

   Everything changed after the meeting with Hollowground. Riley went themself and decided to work with Hollowground while secretly releasing information to the rangers. They left and got into the wreck. While they didn’t admit to being Retribution; Riley had accidentally left enough clues for Ortega to piece it together and confront Riley about being the villain. It didn’t end well. Ortega thinks that Riley is a regene clone and Riley being both angry and scared told Ortega to go away. Argent then clawed their eye out and argued with both Herald and Steel. Riley doesn’t see any of those relationships as salvageable. Ortega’s reaction to them really broke their heart and Riley is diving head first into their scar and motivation.

Alright, how about some fun facts huh?:

According to canon, sidestep is fairly prickly about their appearance. Riley is doubly so. While they always went by they/them, they were very self conscious about how they were perceived and dysphoria in general wearing them down. Anathema was the one who convinced them to go get hormone treatment to try and deal with the dysphoria.

Riley only ever lost 2 games of chess against Chen back in the sidestep days.

Riley used to make their own mead back in the sidestep days.

They used to have an small collection of cheesy off brand figurines of the different ranger members. Riley wonders occasionally what happened to it.

Riley refused to go to Halloween parties after one particular Halloween party Julia scared them so bad once they punched her in the face.

Riley is my tallest sidestep!

Last one, I have vibe quotes for each character. And one for Riley and Ortega gets me right in the heart every time: in a parallel or another world. Or a different life. We sit across from each other at the kitchen table and go over the grocery list.

Every time it gets me choked up.

Alright, let’s go over Riley’s stats, armor, and appearance:

Riley prefers anonymity at around 60%, empathy at 70%, and is cautious at 85%. She prefers power of mind over subtlety, the score being over 80.

Armor appearance: scary. Small parts of armor protrude from the suit like broken bones and others are made to look like growths and protrusions. The helmet is made to look humanoid but with something plant or fungal like growing from its missing jaw. The armor is dark in color with lots of dark greens, grays, and black.

Add ons: speed and telepathy

Extra: the voice modulator adds a creak or strain to Riley’s voice. As if something is crawling or scurrying in the armor itself as they speak.

Riley’s appearance:

Race: mixed

Height: tall. Around 6ft 8in (a little over 2m)

Hair: wavy brown hair. It’s parted in the middle and reaches their shoulders. But, due to the wreck and needing stitches, some was shaven off.

Eyes: green. They used to be brown. Thanks Void.

Style: nondescript casual. Lots of hoodies, large jackets over long sleeve t-shirts and sweats or jeans. Always wears boots though.

[ghostofbriggiesmalls]

“You’re a dead man, Finn!”

“No, sir, I’m an anarchist.” *face punch*

Can we do this to all the military everywhere

GAY WITCH LOVE GAY WITCH LOVE GAY WITCH LOVE

[mushroomjar]

for the name playlist thing, peach or riley (whichever is easier!!)

I'll do both then!♡

Party Poison - My Chemical Romance

Eighties - Killing Joke

A Match Into Water - Pierce The Veil

Carnival - Bikini Kill

Helena - Misfits

♡

Rock N Roll - The Runaways

I Was A Teenage Anarchist - Against Me!

Lo Malo De Ser Bueno - El Cuarteto De Nos

Eat Them - Lady Pills

Yeah Boy And Doll Face - Pierce The Veil

I hope you like rock lol Thanks for the ask!^^

[a-wasteland-story]

Name: Spencer “Scout” Riley

Pronouns: They/them

Age: 17

Height: 5’8”

Hair: Dark brown/black, curly, braided in two braids, not tame at all

Eyes: Green

Ethnicity: Indiginous/African American

Scout grew up in the Appalachian region of Georgia, where their family had been living off the grid for generations. Scout helped with the hunting from a young age, venturing out on their own by the time they were 9. Scout has 6 siblings (four sisters and two brothers). At 11 when they hand gone out to hunt alone, they were kidnapped by the White Tail Society and forced into slavery. Right after they turned 17, they made an escape attempt, killing a prolific member of the society in the process. After a successful escape, Scout started making their way west to lose anybody who may follow.

Fighting style

Scout is skilled with melee weapons, preferring a bat, knife, or brass knuckles.

Long term

Scout wants to go back to their family in the future, but they know that isn’t possible until they are no longer a wanted individual.

Random facts

Scout is obsessed with hunting cryptids. Not necessarily to kill, but just to say they found said cryptids and know they exist.

Scout is an anarchist.

They are borderline totally feral.

This is the character played by @over-thinkinglife in the campaign

[taliahvause]

✗✗✗ you see [ taliah vause ] around lately? yeah i heard that the [ cis woman ] is up to no good. [ she ] has been here for [ one week ] now but they’re still pretty [ manipulative ] which is fine because they’re also [ street smart ] so it balances out. the [ thirty eight ] year old [ drug smuggler ] actually looks like a lot like [ michelle rodriguez ], don’t you think? it’s best to watch out, though, because it’s been said that they’re really into [ knife play & gambling ]

Wow, a real life actual intro for one of my characters? Y’all blessed.

Taliah was born and raised in New York City. If you want to get specific, she was a Harlem kid through and through. Her parents weren’t anything special, neither of them earned a heavy buck, but they also weren’t deadbeats either. They made enough to get by, and that was their life. There was tragedy in her upbringing, but as an only child living a steady life, there was one constant; BOREDOM. She’s always been a rebel, always questioned authority and was a smart-ass in school too. It was because of this she learnt the art of manipulation to avoid getting her ass thrown into detention every goddamn day. She’s charasmatic, funny, charming, rude, mean, violent-- she’s anything she needs to be to get herself out of a bad situation, or to get what she wants. What she always wanted, was adrenaline. 

Combine all of that together and there was really only one path for Taliah, who by the time she was about sixteen pretty much solely went by Vause. That path was crime. She started off low, jacking cars and joyriding around the city with a small group of rebellious and anarchistic kids she ran with around Harlem. Then, as she got older, the crimes escalated until one day she stole a car that she shouldn’t have even looked at. The car of a big, BIG TIME mafia boss. Oh, and she also torched it. Of course, Vause had no idea who this belonged to, until one day she got bagged and kidnapped as she was walking home. Really, she should have been killed that day. Turns out that car wasn’t just worth a pretty penny, but its seats and fittings were filled with Grade A cocaine. 

Instead of death, Vause started working for the gang to pay off the debt. Initally, she was bitter about it, the thought of it being her getting blackmailed into doing something as opposed to her doing the blackmailing was a bit of a kick in the teeth. But, then she started running for them and driving too, and it was the biggest adrenaline kick there was.... Until the inevitable happened. The Police. She was arrested, for the first time, and sent away for six years. Vause, by the end of the sentence, didn’t want to see the inside of literal fucking hell on Earth again. She got released, continued engaging with her probation worker, she got a legit job, and... Then fell in love.

Riley and Vause were a match that no-one saw coming, but for them it was perfect. There was a lot of trouble at the start, with Vause’s past and license conditions, and Riley’s family shunning her for her sexuality. But, they made it work. After a few years, once Vause’s license expired, and Riley became the youngest ever head of surgery at the hospital... They got married. It was great. She was happy... But... Slowly, that adrenaline need started to come back. Then, her Mom died and it was almost like an excuse to look for a distraction; to slip into her old ways. She started running again, secretly... It worked for a year or so but then in a city like New York where the NYPD, FBI, and DEA are swarming like flies... Boom. Prison. 

That was two years ago now, and she’s served her sentence but this time instead of engaging with her probation, she’s left New York entirely, following her wife down to Santa Ysabel... Vause knows she probably should stay out of the crime life now. If she got caught again, she’d be looking at a double figure sentence. But, this place was supposed to be lawless... This place seemed like the perfect oppountinty... Besides-- third time lucky, right?

[mylifeincinema]

My Week in Reviews: October 12, 2019

Joker (Todd Phillips, 2019)

It's impossible to talk about Todd Phillips' Joker without at the very least acknowledging just how much it was influenced by Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver. Phillips’ film is homage bordering on plagiarism and might’ve failed if not for the fact that it embraces this and runs with it full speed ahead. Replacing a run-of-the-mill nobody with one of pop-culture's most famous villains, Joker manages to dive deeper into its subjects' mental decay, knowing its viewers will endure even the most disturbing and twisted moments in anticipation of a reveal they know is on its way.

Joaquin Phoenix's performance is staggering. He embodies Arthur Fleck with just enough likability for us to feel for him as he’s beaten, betrayed and belittled throughout the film, but enough detached malevolence so that his heinous acts are still nothing less than appalling. Phoenix fills this cracked psyche with just as much sadness, fragility and frustration as he does explosively violent fits of psychopathy, making the entire film feel like a burning fuse leading up to the inevitable moment when the madness shatters through, devouring the last bit of humanity left in there.

The rest of the cast is all but wasted. Incredible character actors like Shea Whigham, Bill Camp and Glenn Fleshler are reduced to fuel for the plot, and the radiant and reliable Zazie Beetz is little more than glorified set dressing. Only Robert De Niro is given any substantial material to work with.

Todd Phillips’ work as writer (with Scott Silver) and director is successful in maintaining a tone of dread throughout, and only ever loses focus on the film’s timely themes when he ignores his limitations. Phillips isn’t quite the visionary director he clearly believes he is, and choices of his – especially throughout the late-second/early-third acts – are distracting in not only their long-winded self-indulgence, but also in their gross distrust of the audience. Phillips and Silver fill the film with a ton of pitch-black humor, as they clearly believe – much like Arthur himself – that Arthur Fleck’s life is indeed a comedy. This works at times, such as the climax, where the dialogue is so painfully awkward and true to the characters and Phillips’ direction shifts tone so rapidly and dizzyingly that the events that occur succeed in completely overwhelming the audience with a paralyzing sense of shock. But mostly, it only takes away from Phoenix’s careful dissection of a villain by painting Joker as an anarchist anti-hero that this decaying vision of Gotham oh-so needs. Despite it often being hard to tell whether Phillips wants to celebrate or condemn Arthur, it’s always clear that he’s trying to understand him… but someone really should’ve told him that a little empathy goes a long way with a character like this.

In short: Joker is a mostly effective, if far too empathetic character-study of the broken, mentally-ill man who becomes Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime. Todd Phillips painfully wants this to be a dark-comedy, even when he understands why it’s absolutely not. Joaquin Phoenix delivers a staggering performance that explores every crack in this man’s shattering psyche. And that laugh!! Also, I know I shouldn’t say it, as this is a completely different performance and downright brilliant on its own merit, but Ledger was better. Finally, Arthur Fleck’s time on Murray Franklin’s couch just might be the best scene of 2019, so far, if only Cliff Booth didn’t murder the shit out of a bunch of hippies with assists from Brandy and Rick Fucking Dalton while tripping balls on LSD back in July. - 7/10

Judy (Rupert Goold, 2019)

Biopics are tough. The best ones don’t overreach by telling its subject’s entire life story.

Judy succeeds when it takes that approach, focusing on her final string of London performances in late-’68. Then it falters in its flashbacks. Not enough to ruin the film, but enough that it’s took me out of the moment several times. They make sense, though, after finding out this film is based on Peter Quilter’s stageplay, End of the Rainbow, and directed by English theatre director, Rupert Goold. On stage, these flashbacks work wonderfully, as they’re perfectly timed for major costume and set changes. On the screen they’re jarring, and only ever slightly effective in adding depth to a tragic legendary figure.

But none of that really matters when you have Renée Zellweger, does it? With a performance as rich as hers, this could’ve been condensed to cover just the final performance, and we still would’ve gotten a complete picture of the tragic, broken, and unbelievably talented woman who was Judy Garland. - 7/10

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Vince Gilligan, 2019)

A completely unnecessary, yet perfectly executed farewell to a beloved character from one of the best all-around television series of all-time. There isn’t much here that doesn’t work perfectly. Gilligan gives us all of the intimate character moments and every ounce of palpable tension we’ve come to expect to accompany them. Aaron Paul slips back into the skin of Jesse Pinkman with such natural ease that it’s hard to imagine it’s been over six years since we’ve last seen him as this character. Extra points for the inclusion of a fantastic, meaty scene for Robert Forster. The last project of his to be released before he passed away. - 8/10

Crawl (Alexandre Aja, 2019)

It’s at its best with its acting as a simple, claustrophobic, hopeless survival creature feature. Some bumps, like thinking we care about the father/daughter relationship and them ignoring the severity of Barry Pepper’s injuries, knock this down from being a perfectly light-weight horror/suspense film. - 6/10

The Art of Self-Defense (Riley Stearns, 2019)

A delightfully absurd, endlessly weird satirical exploration of fear and masculinity and the societal relationship between the two. Some of the funnier moments & quotes of the year so far live within this film, and they’re all delivered with such deadpan perfection. “Seven years ago today, Grandmaster was killed in a tragic hiking accident where he was shot in the face with a gun.” damn near killed me.  And its over-the-top representation of its masculine cliches works in dismantling them without ever becoming preachy in the process. - 8.5/10

The Death of Dick Long (Daniel Scheinert, 2019)

A much darker and infinitely more disturbing look into both the societal and familial expectations in regards to masculinity. A bit of a mess throughout, but it still manages to pack quite the punch.

“Death by misadventure.” I’m still both speechless and nauseated. - 5/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[ettawritesnstudies]

and if I can see more than au, what about a leverage au?

I’m so sorry I’m getting to this so late! I did a bit of research on Leverage, and so I’m going to do my best with this even though I don’t watch the show!

So.. in Storge there are the anarchists trying to “Get back at the government” in Storge but the thing is that they don’t care what innocent bystanders they hurt in the process, so for the sake of this AU, I’m going to keep them a constant, and the main cast is going to be our robin hood friends trying to 1) steal from the exploitative Atilan and also 2) chase down this terrorist organization in the most chaotic good way possible!

Luca becomes the leader almost on accident - he’s angry about the injustice and makes some sweeping statement one night about how they should Do Something! about it and for some reason the rest of them kind of go along with it, and he’s certainly not stopping them! He’s good as a fighter because of magic and also moral support, and sweet-talking them into buildings and places because he’s too likable to turn away.

Grace is the muscle/tank - so literally no change from Storge. No one expects the 12 year old wearing a fluffy pink party dress to be an absolute terror if you come within arms reach of her.

Enne would be the brains working from behind the scenes, like Riley in the van in National Treasure. she’d have her screen readers set up and magical sensors pinging at different rates and pitches and she’d organize the whole thing so her siblings don’t go and get themselves killed.

Acheran brings the explosives and fingerprint copiers and cool tech and stuff. He’s basically a mad scientist already so this isn’t too far of a stretch. He’d definitely jump on the chance to be a pyromaniac. 

And Chara? she’s like the chief of police that turns a blind eye to the slightly illegal shenanigans that ensue as long as they get the job done and tells her corrupt bosses “oh no we just couldn’t possibly catch them, they’re just too sneaky.” 

Thanks for asking! This was fun!��

[theoreticalliving]

Posing Questions in Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You

Necessary spoilers below

Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You will likely be compared to Jordan Peele’s Get Out as the must-see satire/horror story of contemporary (Black) American life this year. Certainly both films have in common, beyond their genre bonafides, rumination on the commodification and labor of Black life and the compromises upwardly-mobile Black men make under White supremacist racial capitalism. Yet whereas Get Out was more invested in the psychic labor Blackness does for Whites and only obliquely alluded to the politics of labor, Sorry to Bother You directly attacks the question of (Black) inequality and labor struggles under racial capitalism. Yet while a politics of labor is what is most immediately attractive about the film, I think ultimately the film shows that the resistance that comes from a labor politics is wholly insufficient for actually challenging racial capitalism, and in this may be directly addressing pertinent questions on the Left.

Drawing on the film criticism ofFrank Wilderson, he argues that power to pose the question is the greatest power of all” (viiii), and that in the 60’s and 70’s a series of Black filmmakers did precisely that, motivated by the Black Power movement, Watts Rebellion, and Black Liberation Army to directly address the possibilities and costs of Black people on the move towards freedom. Certainly Riley could be seen to be motivated by contemporary concerns in the questions the film poses. Only a couple fantastical twists truly separate his Oakland from the nightmarish caste society of the Bay Area. He also depicts a vibrant political movement of union organizers, black-clad anarchists and DIY-artists, and the requisite police violence and repression they confront. Yet Wilderson also argues that there is a difference between the question of the Worker—alienated by labor yet positioned within civil society—and the question of the Slave whose exclusion forms the very possibility of the world—while the Slave labors they are fundamentally defined by their openness to gratuitous violence, fungibility, and natal alienation. Where the Worker wants to overthrow capital, the Slave wants to destroy the world itself, and it is only the “ruse of analogy” that depicts the question of the Slave as the same as the question of the Worker.

So despite Cassius’s presence as a Black man, alongside other Black co-workers, much of the film poses the question of the Worker. Cassius is forced to sell his labor to survive, he feels alienated from any potential life possibilities—see his constant concerns about who will remember him—and survival under capitalism forces him to become estranged from his loves ones and culture, to adopt the eponymous White Voice that sells access and power to the world. Then there is the mega-company and capitalist villain of the movie WorryFree, who force workers into lifetime contracts in return for food and shelter. Within the movie itself this is critiqued as a return to slavery, yet curiously most of the workers depicted are White. We should also remember from Wilderson that  while the Slave performs labor they are not defined by it. Slavery itself was not a contract but pure violence and extraction. It is also striking that we see repeated signs that complete families can join WorryFree, as it at least points to the maintenance of a family structure under extreme labor exploitation that was not true of slavery. So while WorryFree is the satirical endgame of the Worker’s alienation and exploitation under capitalism, it is not the same as being a Slave.

Why does this matter politically? Because within the film a politics of labor organized around the Worker ultimately appears wholly inadequate to the problem of racial capitalism. The organizer Squeeze attempts to form a union at Cassius’s telemarketing company Regal Wave, and the conflict of the film initially comes from Cassius being a scab and betraying his fellow workers. Yet there is never a culmination to this union plot line: we do not see the moment of victory, one of the activists who strikes Cassius with a soda can sells out to get her own TV endorsements, and at the (pseudo) end of the film Cassius plans to go back to work at the company. The character who would be the viewer’s locus of Leftist identification, the Asian-American Squeeze, appears competent but equally as interested in his sexual pursuit of Detroit than meaningfully challenging capital. There are repeated scenes of workers striking outside the premise, but they appear cyclical, another example of labor spinning its wheels without purpose or catalyst to a qualitatively different stage of struggle.

This is where the twist of the film occurs (one I was not prepared for at all) and swerves towards the position of the Slave and the radicality borne from the question of the Slave. WorryFree is literally turning humans into horse-humans, or equi-sapians, to replace its own workforce with the promise of being stronger, more productive, and more obedient. While again equi-sapians are made for the purpose of labor, that is not how they are defined for the viewer. Their being is open to gratuitous violence, as we first see one screaming in pain and begging for help, they are fungible in that they cross the threshold of both the Human and Blackness, and there is an implied degree of natal alienation or at least exaggerated and aberrant sexuality (through the jock of the benefits of having a horse penis). Yet where the equi-sapians appear as victims initially, in the climax of the film they appear as themselves the subjects of politics through the only action that could be meaningfully possible, the rejection and destruction of racial capitalism. As the strikers attempt to keep out the scabs, only to be violently beaten down by the police, it is the equi-sapians—freed by a changed-of-heart Cassius—who appear to fight off the police with their enhanced strength. Not a workers strike but the specter of a Slave revolt is what appears as a decisive blow against capital. While the scene ends with a declaration of solidarity between the workings and the equi-sapians, there is a striking difference of capacity between them.

This is reinforced through the bait-and-switch ending. Cassius, who initially appeared to have harmlessly snorted coke, did actually take the equi-sapian drug and begins to transform. The film cuts off here and goes to credits, yet cuts again to WorryFree CEO Steve Lift’s house, where the newly equi-sapian Cassius appears leading an army(?) of his fellow equi-sapians to invade the house, where the film then cuts to credits without showing the implied violence against the CEO after his door is broken down. Perhaps they do find a cure, or perhaps they merely kill the CEO. Yet whereas the Regal Wave strike stayed at the workplace and was ineffectual until the appearance of the equi-sapians, it is the equi-sapians who charge directly into the lair of capital, as embodied by the CEO.

I find another similarity here to the climax of Get Out, where the main character must also violently confront his White captors and literally kill them. Both films tarry with depicting Fanonian violence of overcoming White supremacist racial capitalism. This is not a gratuitous violence, as critics of Fanon often allege he endorsed, but simply the reversal of the violence imposed on the main characters. As oppression is maintained by the pure force of violence, its inversion is necessarily a violent upheaval. I don’t think its a coincidence that the revolt of the equi-sapians raises both the specter of the Slave revolt—as the creation of “complete disorder” as Fanon and Wilderson puts it—and of a revolt against the Human itself, as the originary differentiation that separates (White) Man from his others and opens the zone of fungibility that the Slave occupies. In some ways the equi-sapians are more Black than the actual Black characters we see on the screen, as both open to the gratuitous violence of the Slave but also enacting a gratuitous freedom that is more often associated with the eruption of Blackness on screen, as in 70’s films such as Bush Mama or The Spook Who Came in from the Cold, depictions of Black revolutionaries in movement.

This is all to say that while it is easy to see an insightful critique of contemporary capitalism in the film and a rumination on struggle against it—as prominent these days from post-Occupy activists to the DSA and Sandernistas—the question of the Worker is not what actually motivates radical change. It is the question of the Slave and the ensemble of gratuitous violence, gratuitous freedom, and complete disorder that portray the briefest glimmer of revolutionary change. It is the question not of anti-capitalism but of anti-Blackness and the end of the world.

A last note, certainly compared to Get Out’s well-oiled machine of cringe comedy and suspenseful horror, Riley has made a much more uneven film. The satire ranges from directly on the nose to overly broad, the romantic story between Cassius and Detroit mostly does not actually develop or change, and is used to reflect more on Cassius’s developments than Detroit. Detroit’s plot line is a satire of the art world that feels done before (though also a sign that Detroit has less room to critique Cassius than she admits). While certainly the Bechdel test is not the end all/be all of ethical film criticism, it is noticeable that the film fails it. A stinging, genre-infused satire for Black women remains to be made.

[elopez7228]

Force and Fury - a MadMax AU [Reylo] fanfic. ENGLISH VERSION Chapiter 3 : Starkiller

There was neither an incident nor an attack during the journey. Unkar had picked a team of four scavengers, who joined Rey as planned a couple of hours before dawn. They all came from Niima and Rey knew them well. The truck driver was Riley, a blond woman with a side of her head shaved. Next to her sat Jared, carrying an automatic rifle. His skin was a deep shade of black and his sight flawless. The roof of the truck was the position of Sun, a skinny girl with dark skin, fearing neither sand nor sunburn, operating a heavy machine gun. The fourth member of the expedition, a swift man called Foster, followed the truck on his motorbike. As for Rey, she drove far ahead, carrying Fluffy-Evil-Lord-Of-Death in the empty wagon. Rey remained woke, expecting a treason any moment. Was Sun going to aim and execute her from her position? Would Riley and Jared try to crush her little bike under their truck’s massive wheels? Was another team of henchmen going to pop from behind boulders and ambush them? What was Unkar’s plan of action this time?

The previous day, after Unkar’s attack, Rey made it home without new trouble, and everything was quiet for the rest of the day. But she couldn’t keep calm : why did Unkar put a reward on her head? She was aware of two new elements that could have led him to this sudden interest : the wreckage, and the dog. The location of the wreckage couldn’t justify killing her, quite the contrary actually ; it would benefit him much more if she stayed alive. This meant he was after the dog.

It was a beautiful dog and he’d make quite a barbecue, but that wasn’t enough yet to hire four murderers. As far as she knew, she was the only scout of her kind in Niima. Which meant this dog was worth her sacrifice… it made no sense.

She now drove the track towards the shipwreck and was actually starting to relax. If these four scavengers had been willing to kill her, they would have made attempts by now. She could focus on her surroundings… the desert was never empty, despite appearances!

Her headache was fortunately quite mild at the moment. She only felt the buzz due to the dog on her vehicle, and the truck a few hundred yards behind. Nothing worth her attention.

As the blue shade of the night stretched over the plain, they stopped and raised their camp.

According to Rey, the shipwreck was only a few hours away, but it was safer to take halt for the night. They know too well the dangers of nocturnal expeditions.

The vehicles were carefully checked : engines, oil, gas, tires. Guns were loaded and night guard was established. First round for Foster and Sun, then Rey alone, then Riley and Jared.

They didn’t ignite a fire, it would have been too obvious in the darkness. Rey pulled out a bowl and poured water for the dog, who drank loudly. Riley, biting on her protein stick, couldn’t take her eyes of him.-

- Where does that dog come from, Rey? She asked after a while.

Rey shrugged :

- I found him, lost in the desert, and I kept him, that’s all.

- Are you going to eat him? Sun asked.

Rey smiled, as if the question had been completely silly :

- No! No, I’ll keep it as pet.

- What’s his use, beside eating your rations and water supplies? You could make profits from him, organize fights and gambling… All it would take is some training.

- No, seriously, I’m not into gambling. I’d rather keep him this way.

Riley frowned :

- Someone is going to steal him. There’s good money to make, what a waste. You’ll get in trouble.

Rey stayed silent, looking at Fluffy-Evil-Lord-of-Death as he playfully trudled around, waving his tail. Riley and Sun were right : this dog was going to draw attention on her. It had already started. Her lifelong protector had turned against her and she doubted to ever feel safe again until she arranged the situation.

She sighed :

- I’m always in trouble. At least now I’m in trouble in good company.

She stood up and stretched her neck :

- I’m going to sleep. See you in a few hours.

After what, she whistled sharply and pat her lap with her flat hand ; the dog came to her on that call and she rubbed his head.

- Come on Evil Lord Of Death. Let’s go to bed.

Everyone proceeded on getting ready for the night to come. Rey snuggled in her blanket, next to her bike, keeping her staff and machete close. The dog sniffed around, seemed to chase his tail for a moment, then curled next to her.

She listened to the soft voices of Foster and Sun, to the familiar clicking of weapons being handled, as both of them took their positions for the first watch. Steady squeaks and muffled moans came from the truck as Riley and Jared were having sex. Nothing unsusual. Rey gave in to sleep.

A sharp pain drilled her temples and she woke up screaming, holding her skull between both hands. People. People everywhere.

They were under attack!

She jumped wide awake. It must have been close to midnight, as the moon was high in the sky. She saw accurately Sun loading the machine gun on the top of the truck. Foster banged on the side to wake up Riley and Jared. Fluffy Evil Lord Of Death bristled and bared his fangs. Rey climbed to the top of the truck to join Sun and and stared at the desert around them. She pointed a finger towards the approaching men.

_ Over there, in front of the sand dune, she said. There are two of them.

_ I can’t see shit, Sun hissed between her clenched teeth, hands stiffed on the gun. Let’s ignite the torch lights, we can’t fight in the dark.

_ No, Rey said. They don’t know I can see them ; they show too much confidence. We can overcome them without taking any risks.

She knew, on pure instinct, where the ennemis stood. They were at least four : two crawling forward, who obviously didn’t know they had been caught yet, and two more on the other side, riding a large motorbike. What tribe did they come from? They didn’t look like raiders.

The one on the motorbike roared engines and raced toward them. It was a wide bike, with a single wheel on front and two on the back. Sun swung the gun and shot blindly, in a deafening thunder and flashes of light that blinded Rey for a moment. As if it had been the sign everyone was waiting for, suddenly all the guns started firing, in every direction. So much for stealth! Rey, lying on her stomach, could see bullets shooting around her. She was useless up there ;she was much better fighter in close combat. She climbed swiflty down from the truck’s roof and stood straight in front of the motorbike, ready to overthrow the pilot from his vehicle. She sensed that the dog was nearby, but she had bigger worries at the moment. The bike raced to her. Rey jumped aside to dodge it, but the pilot sharply steered, in a two wheels drift that almost knocked it over. Caught off guard by this sudden turn, Rey didn’t react fast enough to dodge the metallic staff that stroke her. She collapsed on the sand, breathless, her vision blurring. She could hear around her the roar of raging combat ; she heard the screams of Sun, Riley, Jared and Foster among those of their attackers.

She stood up with a wince, looking for the dog. He was in the middle of the battle, and she called “Evil Lord of Death! Attack!”

But the dog ignored her as he happily waved his tail in front of the rider. Rey, still struggling to catch her breath, stood frozen in surprise for the second time in only a few minutes.

The man exclaimed : “BB8! It’s BB8!”

And Rey, stunned, only managed to mumble “BB what?” before crumpling to the ground, stricken in the back by an attacker she didn’t see.

Kylo Ren didn’t turn around as two tall figures came in the large room of walls made of raw concrete. He was contemplating the lake, and its dark and still waters. Slaves were busy on its shores, such as tiny ants.

- Tuanul village is no longer a concern, I personally made sure of that, Kylo Ren said in his mask.

A female voice, with a metallic hue due to her helmet, rose behind him :

- Did you find any Resistant?

Kylo Ren slowly turned around, to face his counterparts. Phasma was wearing an uneven armor, which she had been carefully grooming. Its chrome shades quite stood out in this palace of sand and rust. As for Hux, he was a shriveled yet sleek man, who took great care of his clothes when no one else could afford such luxury. He wore his red hair in a mohawk and nails in his ears. All three governed the First Order, under direct command of the Supreme Leader Snoke. Hux lead strategy, Phasma lead the armies and Kylo Ren led intelligence. Hunt and kill, military strikes and meaningful executions, that was all him. His name and his shadow stretched over the First Order as symbols of his power and his wrath.

- Our informants didn’t lie : Lor San Tekka was operating a well and a Resistance network. The well will be clogged today and the villagers should be on their way to the fortress, if you gave your orders as planned.

- I did. Phasma answered.

- And the Resistance Network, did you catch them? Said Hux with a nervous twitch of his shoulders.

Kylo Ren lowered his masked face to him and Hux flinched.

- The orange dog had been spotted near the village. He must have fallen off a vehicle and I expect him to try to gather with his owner, straight to the Resistance. I offered a fairly high reward to our barons for his head. Whoever sees him should catch it and inform us.

- And? Any news yet?

- Not yet. But it’s been less than 24 hours. Trust me : an orange dog can not pass unnoticed. We’ll hear about him soon.

- You better. Hux hissed between his teeth. The Resistance gets more allies everyday, and I don’t see you containing this plague.

Kylo moved a step forward. He was much taller than Hux. His voice was bitter.

- Are you questioning my strategy, Hux?

The red hair man flinched and slightly backed out as Kylo Ren leaned over him :

- All I’m saying is that I need results. These anarchists disturb our operations.

Phasma’s metallic voice cut short the argument, and both raised their heads to listen to her :

- Taxes will be perceived in two weeks time. You both know what that means. If Resistant is planning a coup, it will be then.

They knew what she meant : barons of the whole territory would send their ambassadors driving tank trunks to pay their taxes (whatever their village could produce : food, slaves, raw materials) and bring back water. There would be lots of hustle around the fort, temporary camps would rise, there would be people everywhere, and along with them would come parties, thefts, and fights. It was tradition to proceed to a few public executions, to make a statement and remind them who ruled this country. Snoke wouldn’t make an appearance, he never did. Yet Phasma, Hux and Ren should show off. Their main ally was the owner of the petrol fields and the refinery plant. It was a disabled man, whose legs were too weak to support his enormous stomach. He was a flabby mountain of wallowing flesh in his castle, another fortress at fair distance from Starkiller. Convoys of water and gas rode back and forth between both fortresses, and as these were the most valuable resources of this forsaken desert, the track between Starkiller and the palace of Jabba the Hutt, as he was called, was the Resistance favorite target.

Kylo Ren’s fists clenched to his sides as the simple thought of Resistance. His reputation and relevance within Starkiller would only stop being questioned when he’d crush this batch of vermins, lead by a woman whose sole name drove him mad : Leia Organa.

Because she was his mother, Hux, Phasma, Snoke, but also every single war trooper in starkiller questioned his loyalty. Because she was his mother, each failure was suspicious. Because she was his mother, he was fallible. And this idea infuriated him.

Phasma had work to do, she was to organize the troops for the tax ceremonies. The upcoming weeks would be exhausting. She gave a polite salute and left the room, closing the door behind her. Hux and Ren were now alone.

As soon as she left the room, Kylo Ren raised his hands to his helmet and took it off. He dropped it on the steel table that stood in the middle of the room and racked his fingers in his hair.

Hux didn’t make a move and stood straight, hands behind his back.

Kylo Ren’s voice rose, deep and strong as it wasn’t modified by the helmet anymore.

- I hate this season. The crowd. Those pathetic creatures…

- Now is not the time to fail, Ren, Hux said, raising an eyebrow.

Ren stared at him with furious eyes. The crowd gave him excruciating headaches that denied him sleep and made him even more nervous than usual.

Hux knew that and yet, he kept pushing.

- I won’t fail. Kylo answered, endorsing each word.

Hux came closer :

- You overestimate yourself, Hux said. You are obviously exhausted.

As he talked, he came even closer. They could almost touch each other and Ren felt his burning breath on his lips as Hux spoke. He was so close that the painful buzz in Ren’s skull because unbearable, even though he had managed to ignore it until now.

- Step back, Kylo Ren mumbled, almost begging.

- Does it hurt? Hux asked.

Ren didn’t grant him with an answer and turned his face away.  Hux’ finger gently touched his chin to make him look in his eyes. He whispered :

- Let me help you.

Ren felt Hux’ mouth take his, and he closed his eyes. His brain was buzzing louder than ever but the heat rising from his crotch diverted him. Hux’ hand layed on his genitals, over his black shirt. Kylo Ren felt himself grow hard and the buzz inside his skull seemed to correspondingly decrease. A tongue slid on his lips and he opened his mouth. Hux had his tongue pierced, a cold and hard bead that toyed inside his mouth and that he wanted to feel on his body. This thought aroused him. He flinched and took a step back to lean on the table behind him. The General’s left hand had seized the back of his head, as he deeply kissed him ; his right hand rubbed his penis, up and down, though his clothes. The headache and become a peripheral issue. His hardened penis almost hurt and with a swift move, he grabbed the general’s ass and squeezed him. He felt his hardness rub his own and a moan escaped his lips. This sound seemed to arouse Hux, who broke off their kiss and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Without breaking eye contact, he slid both hands on his torso, above the black shirt, and slowly kneeled in front of him. Ren bit his lips in perspective. He bit one finger of his glove and pulled it off with his teeth before dropping it on the floor, before racking his fingers in his lover’s red hair. Hux’ face was just facing his crotch, and his long fingers were operating Ren’s zipper and belt. After a short time that felt like an eternity to Ren, Armitage Hux’ hand grabbed his burning cock, as Kylo moaned again. Hux’ tongue slid along his shaft in slow up and down strokes, then without warning, he covered it with his mouth. Kylo tilt his head back. It felt amazing. His whole body was completely focused on the feeling of Hux’s mouth around his cock, and everything else vanished in a blur. Hux was going up and down on his shaft, sliding the bead of his tongue around the penis head, and Ren clenched his left hand on the table he was holding.

His right hand was gripping the General’s hair and moved along with him with jerky movements. Hux resisted his instructions and Ren felt pleasure in that struggle, his wrist against this neck, his cock against this mouth, and he felt a pressure rising from inside his crotch. Deeper, stronger. Suddenly Hux bit and Ren roared as he released his hand completely. His burning cock sprung from the general’s lips who gave him a dark gaze. Ren immediately grabbed his hair, with both hands, and sticked his lover’s face against his slick, hard cock.

- Finish the job. Ren said.

- I don’t take orders. Hux hissed between his clenched teeth.

- Then do it because you fucking want to. Ren creaked, releasing both hands.

- Fuck you, Hux said, but he took the penis back inside his mouth and resumed the movement.

With both hands, he grabbed Ren’s ass through the leather pants, and Ren spread his tights, holding himself the the table. The feeling was divine. The headache had vanished and his body felt so relaxed at this sole feeling that he could have come, yet the burning lips of Hux on his cock were irresistible. He moaned and finally came, bluntly, jerking semen in his lover’s mouth. Hux swallowed and stood up as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He seeked Kylo’s mouth and kissed him deeply, in a passionate exchange of semen and saliva.

Kylo was relaxed, eyes shut, and negligently zipped up his pants. Hux stopped him by grabbing his penis.

- We’re not done, Hux said.

Kylo tightened his fingers around Hux’ wrist until he released his cock and pushed him away.

- I am. Snoke is expecting me.

Hux tried to protest, but Kylo shoved him away with a shoulder punch, straightened his clothes and picked up his helmet. The General watched him walk away, powerless, and seized his own hard cock through his pants.

- Fuck you, Ren! He screamed, furious.

Kylo gave him a slight wave of his hand as an answer, without a look back.

Yet he stopped at the door and looked above his shoulder :

- See you tonight, General.

- I don’t take orders! Hux screamed on principle, but he already knew he’d be there, available for Kylo Ren, that very night.

Once again, Ren had been manipulating him from A to Z.

[intoxicatingimmediacy]

The Essential Blindspotting Insists That People, Cities and Movies Can’t Be Reduced

With apologies to Gertrude Stein, there actually is a there there in Oakland. In fact, that polyglot city pulses with a mad glut of there, one there butting against another butting against theres still to come. There’s so much there there that to capture their town’s complexities, this summer’s two bold Oakland features — first Boots Riley’s scabrous capitalist satire Sorry to Bother You and now Carlos Lopez Estrada’s street-level city study Blindspotting — both dash to the rocks the established rules of genre and dramatic naturalism. Riley’s film risks losing viewers with a lurch from consciousness-raising workers’ comedy into paranoid science fiction, but how better to suggest the craziness of a city known for revolutionary fervor — all those anarchists’ bookstores and black-power bakeries — getting swallowed by “visionary” tech bros?

And now, here’s the superb and daring Blindspotting, a thrilling, riotous, language-drunk elegy and celebration for this most unfixed of cities. The film, like Oakland itself, is forever evolving, always becoming some new thing just when it at last seems to have revealed its full self. Like Riley, the film’s writers and producers dare to demand that audiences give them poetic license, in this case literally.

It takes a lot of movie to get at Oakland’s truth. Blindspotting is, among other things:

1. A tender and hilarious character study of two neighborhood friends — played by the film’s writers and producers, Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal — who work for a moving company, try not to run afoul of the law, have strikingly different reactions to gentrification and process everything bewildering or beautiful or upsetting in their lives by spitting casual, exploratory rhymes toward each other. Their friendship is a vital, endless freestyle. Collin (the electric Diggs) is a black man with braids living in a halfway house as he nears the end of his parole for a felony assault; he kind of likes the $10 kale juice now stocked at his local bodega. Miles (an explosive Casal), a white boy wearing a grill and packing a pistol, disdains change in Oakland, especially once the hipsters start taking him for one of them rather than a town lifer who is treated, by his friends and life partner Ashley (Jasmine Cephas Jones), as almost honorarily black. They refer to him by a word that he wisely doesn’t speak himself.

2. A piercing melodrama about race and class, identity and expectations, about what the world sees and expects when it looks at you, about how hard it is, when you’ve been raised in this culture and steeped in its pathologies, to see people as who they are rather than who you expect or fear. At times, the broke-ass speechifying gets old-school theatrical, Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan meet slam poetry, especially in a bravura confrontation between Collin and Miles about everything the other hasn’t considered about what it’s like to be a black dude with braids — or a white dude who projects as “black” — in Oakland.

3. An impassioned city symphony that toasts and laments an Oakland that’s already passing, alive with blazing street photography and attuned in its incidental encounters to contradiction and irony. We meet a white artist, played by Wayne Knight, whose work honors the people displaced by gentrification — and also the oak trees cut down to pave the Oakland that’s now being lost. And witness the priceless moment when Collin’s mother (Margo Hall), whose home is bedecked with African drums and photos of Angela Davis, vows not to join the exodus of longtime residents outpriced by tech execs: “I’ll be damned if I move out of this neighborhood now that they got good food and shit.”

4. A theatrical throwdown in which the stars and writers — both mainstays of innovative stage and spoken-word communities — liberate themselves from cinematic convention and audience expectation. To bull’s-eye Oakland reality, they break with blinkered and limited movie realism. They’ve penned elaborate dream and performance sequences that feature the leads soliloquizing in ferocious verse. The first of these is a searing nightmare, a burst of music-video horror on the subjects of police brutality, mass incarceration and a government that only wants to hear from men like Collin when they are offering “verbal acknowledgment” of that government’s instructions. The second is more complex, a fireworking display of Diggs’ virtuosity that occurs within the story’s everyday reality and arrives just when audiences will be braced for a more traditional climax — likely a bloody one. Instead, they get rhyme. “That would never happen in real life,” a viewer groused afterward, the second time I saw the film. Of course it wouldn’t — and don’t think the filmmakers are unaware of that. A much more fruitful line of inquiry is, “Why does it happen here?” and “Why is it easier for audiences to buy fantasies of killing than fantasies of truth-telling?”

Blindspotting is all these things and more. Much more: It’s wild and singular, often beautiful, a feast and feat of self-definition through verbal dexterity. It’s shaking with laughter, teeming with insights and tense as hell when the police roll up. (Cheers to director of photography Robby Baumgartner’s lensing of mini-marts and new condos, of gutted homes and neon vegan burger joints, of lifted baller cars and sunrise jogs through a cemetery.) Focusing on its leads’ neighborhood and their day-to-day hustle, it doesn’t seize all that’s there in Oakland, but it gets more onscreen than most movies ever could. And if you find yourself resisting its occasional flights into the symbolic or theatrical, let me ask this: Would something more like every other movie be any more satisfying? Isn’t the most Oakland thing of all to do it their way and dare us to keep up? Blindspotting brilliantly surveys its creators’ home turf while also breaking new ground.

[indecentpause]

The Black & Blues: Musical Inspiration

this playlist is made up of songs similar to what I imagine The Black & Blues would play! I obviously didn't write any of them, because I suck at writing lyrics, so I thought this could be a fun alternative. imagine them all as ska songs and that's the idea of what they sound like. a mix of political and silly :)

bomb the music industry! - side projects are never successful // css - music is my hot, hot sex // trashbag ponchos - you never asked for this // the orion experience, orion, linka xo - the cult of dionysus // dog park dissidents - s*xual // super cassette - be gay, do drugs, hail satan // against me! - i was a teenage anarchist // they might be giants - the communists have the music // cheekface - "listen to your heart." "no." // days n daze - my darling dopamine //

the format - tune out // world / inferno friendship society - only anarchists are pretty // big d and the kids table - doped up on dollies on a one way ticket to blood // the war lovers - steal shit from walmart // pansy division - i'm gonna be a slut // dog park dissidents - rev your motor // the interrupters - title holder // atom and his package - i am downright amazed at what i can destroy with just a hammer //defiance, ohio - i'm against the government //

five iron frenzy - get your riot gear // bis - kill yr boyfriend // fire ant season - steal from walmart // mischief brew - bury me in analog // worriers - yes all cops // bad moves - cool generator // le tigre - punker plus // green day - king for a day // troy's bucket - chad likes goth girls // riley! - fight milk! // rocket surgeons - whistle //

hummusvacuum - steal from corporations // ghost mice - free pizza for life // the garages - we'll suck forever // gender chores - night in the woods // afi - i wanna get a mohawk (but mom won't let me get one) // liam lynch - happy // the interrupters feat. rancid - got each other // the vandals - if the government could read my mind // they might be giants - damn good times // sam stone - call acab //

the northern boys - f the world // skatune network feat. jer - i'm not okay (i promise) // sesamoid - adventricular // john daues - piece of trash // liam lynch- united states of whatever // death - politicians in my eyes // spoonboy - stab yer dad // night gaunts - trippin' in the basement // destructo disk - you're standing on my neck // big d and the kids table - l.a.x // night gaunts - post party depression

escape from the zoo - learnin' curve // kitsch club - 12 foot home depot skeleton // confetti - right now // good charlotte - little things // the npcs - we're all dudes // doug & the beets - bangin' on a trash can // shayfer james - good life // bug hunter - shocking plot twist // five iron frenzy - oh, canada // playboy manbaby - you can be a fascist too // dead kennedys - nazi punks fuck off // mischief brew - thanks, bastards! // good charlotte -lifestyles of the rich and famous // goldfinger - 99 red balloons // the orion experience, orion, linda xo - blood & money // the dollyrots - twist me to the left

cut into smaller chunks to make the titles easier to read :)

listen here on spotify!

read it here on ao3!

Current taglist: @abalonetea @only-book-lovers-left-alive @poore-choice-of-words @leadhelmetcosmonaut @jasperygrace

@drippingmoon @theoddcryptid @magic-is-something-we-create @idreamonpaper @winterandwords

@revenantlore @mr-orion

Black & Blues taglist: @lynnedwardswrites

[outcast-heroes]

“So what you’re saying here, is that there’s someone at the door” Carter rubs her temples impatiently, staring blankly. Rue nods eagerly, tail whipping about behind her and brushing against the edge of Kaden’s wife’s old vase. Carter bristles anxiously as she watches. “There, there, right there” Rue points at the door across the room, barely able to contain herself. “Yeah, thanks, because I didn’t hear them knock” Carter retorts, sighing and brushing her hair back. The Lykamian does this often, every time the doorbell rings in fact. But that won’t stop Carter and Riley from getting annoyed.

         Rue leaps over the couch now, crouching on the other side, ready to pounce. Carter can only make her way around her, frowning the whole way to the door. She pauses, hand hovering over the knob, and glances back warily at Rue. “You good?” It’s not that Carter actually cares, she just needs to make sure that if it happens to be Ratchet or Talwyn on the other side of the door that they won’t be torn to shreds. Not that she cares. Rue scoffs, ears flicking. “Aren’t I always?”

Carter scoffs now, pulling the old fashioned door open with little resistance and peering outside. She blinks as sunlight bleeds into the room and into her eyes, squinting with irritation. “What do you want?” She asks plainly, because it’s just occurred to her that she hasn’t had her cup of coffee yet, and suddenly this doesn’t matter much to her. She needs that coffee.

“Well you look lively as ever,” Ratchet scratches behind his neck, unintimidated, but wary nonetheless. “I got a new lead on the case with Ash. I thought you’d be interested” He says rather sheepishly. Carter quirks a brow. “Anything I don’t already know?” She inquires, crossing her arms.

“Can I come in?” Ratchet counters her question with his own, and for a moment the Markazian can sense the tension behind his throat. There’s something he’s dying to say, so why isn’t he talking? She opens the door wider, turning on her heels and motioning over her shoulder for him to follow. The lombax hesitates for only a second, and then he’s right behind her.

She doesn’t bother to close the door, so the task falls to Ratchet. He clears his throat as he steps into the kitchen. She’s fumbling with her coffee maker now, a little too distracted. “Well?” Ratchet jumps a little when her voice breaks through the silence. He laughs despite himself. “There are more reports of…” He trails off, looking to Rue. She’s perched halfway on the counter, tail thumping lazily as the Lykamian eyes some jerky behind the coffee in the cabinet. For a moment he’s not sure whether she’s wagging her tail at him or the jerky. He blinks, turning his gaze back to Carter. She taps her foot impatiently, repeating herself. “Well?”

“Ash has done it again. Missing children, body parts found floating outside the Quazar sector. It’s like she’s making some sort of frankenstein child or something” His voice is hushed. “Genetic experimentation,” Rue pipes in before Carter can react, and the two meet her gaze. It’s shocking almost, not just what she said, but the fact that Rue just used two big words. Right next to each other!

“What?” the two speak in unison, and Rue raises a brow. “Genetic experimentation. It’s what Ash is working on.” She says, as if it’s common knowledge. Carter blinks. “How the fuck would you know that?” She snaps, and Ratchet frowns. “Language,” He says quietly. “Fuck off,” Carter turns to Rue again.

    “I used to work for her, remember? We’re all required to sign nondisclosure papers and give blood samples before we’re hired. I thought it was weird shit, but I needed the job soo,” She makes her way to the fridge and reaches for the door, but Carter swats her hand away. “She took a sample of your blood? You just let her? How did you find out about the experiments?”

“You ask too many questions,” Rue huffs, nose flaring ever so slightly. “What’s her face told me”

“Ash?”

“No it was uh, the red head.. Fuck. what was her name…? Ross I think? Yeah Ross” Rue opens the fridge and carter scowls. “Rose? The one with the bandage over her left eye?” She presses. “Nono- wait. Shit. There are two redheads with eye patches aren’t there… Fuck. Not the super happy peppy one,  the really quiet one,  shorter than you.  The little shithead,” She taps her chin and Carter frowns.

“Language..” Ratchet repeats, pouting.

“Fuck off,” The two say in sync now, scowling at each other before turning away.

“So it was Ember then?” Ratchet clears his throat. Rue nods, biting into a piece of cold jerky before adding, “Yeah, urpmh, the wittle meawn wone”

“Why would Ember ever tell you that?” Carter looks patiently at the coffee machine as it drips down the last remnants of steaming brew. Rue swallows. “Well I was a ruthless killing machine back in the day, and if I wanted to know  something  people  would  tell  me.  That’s besides the point.  I helped this time right?   I’m not useless after all” Rue almost beams with pride, and Carter rolls her eyes.

“No,  you’re still useless.  That doesn’t help anything. We still don’t know why she’s doing it all. What the fuck  could she possibly need to genetically modify to such an extent that she’s willing to abduct innocent children?” Carter pours herself a cup now, and the smell of fresh coffee fills the air. Rue gags at the smell.

“It is almost as though she is attempting to build her own new unique species. But why?” Clank chimes in from Ratchet’s back, and Carter and Rue both flinch. “I always forget you’re there..” Carter admits, taking a sip. “My apologies, Ms. Apogee,” Clank jumps to the floor and Ratchet smirks at him. “Hey Pal, have a good nap?” He greets the little robot. “Yeah, Don’t call me that. Reminds me of my relatives. Blech,” Carter cringes, taking another sip.

“You make a good point though, why would Ash need a new genetically modified species?” Everyone looks to the left, where Riley is standing with a fluffy blanket wrapped loosely around her. The bax rubs her eyes wearily, blowing a strand of her hair out of her eyes.

“Oh look, the gang’s all here” Carter rolls her eyes.

“The only logical explanation is-”

“Maybe she’s making an army” Rue cuts Clank off, and the robot’s optical’s shift into a mock frown at the stolen revelation.

“But- why would someone like Ash need an army?” Ratchet asks in shock. “It doesn’t line up, she’s been blowing up PDF headquarters all around Polaris, and letting loose crazy monsters all over. She strikes me as more of an anarchist than an organized criminal” He says, crossing his arms and taking a seat at the Island. RIley makes her way to his side and struggles to climb into the bar stool next to his with her huge blanket.

“I agree,” Riley says, ears flicking, “When I met her she was all scatterbrained crazy. I thought it was just a personality quirk at the time, but I don’t think she’s capable of anything too… Well, too complicated. Plus, Ash isn’t crazy smart. She’s all shoot first - think later.”  Carter slides a cup of coffee to the younger bax, who smiles politely.

“Maybe not, not on her own at least,” says Carter, “But Ash wasn’t always working alone. Remember Nova?” Carter turns to Rue, who nods thoughtfully. “Maybe she’s just… fulfilling Nova’s last wishes. She was a scientist after all. I mean, it’s not too crazy, Nova was one crazy bitch.”

Riley and Ratchet both frown, Riley muttering a quiet, “Language please..” Carter throws her hands up gently, conceding, “Sorry.” Ratchet throws his arms up exasperatedly. “Seriously?” He frowns, and Clank sympathetically pats his shoulder.

“So, say Ash is just finishing Nova’s old plans- Nova’s base was left abandoned back on the edge of Genesis, abandoned. Why don’t we go check around for any left over evidence of potential plans?” Ratchet suggests, and the room grows quiet.

“I’m not going back there” Carter breaks the silence, voice harsh and cold. Rue’s gaze falls to the floor, ears falling flat on her head. “Ditto on this one,” The Lykamian adds, uncharacteristically quiet.

Riley raises a brow curiously. “I’ll go.” All eyes shift to her. “Ratchet and Tal can go with me. We’ll check it out and report back, easy-peasy. Maybe we’ll find something worth finding” She shrugs, uncertain of her own plan. There’s something about that station that leaves the most bad A** people she knows uneasy; and that’s terrifying. But if there’s one thing Riley knows for certain, it’s that she’d do anything to stop Ash and bring peace back to Polaris… Even if it’s just enough to bring back the Lombaxes.

She straightens a little, clearing her throat. “It’ll be easy, right Ratchet?”

Ratchet blinks, eyes shifting to Carter. “Yeah, Why not? You two can go check out this old Warehouse in the meantime,” He reaches into his scarcely used pocket and produces a slip of thin paper, coordinates scribbled messily across it.

Carter hesitates, taking a slip slowly. “What’s the deal with this one?” She asks, eyeing the paper warily. Ratchet shrugs. “Supposed illegal weapon factory, using Quantanium. I figure you two could go in guns blazing and knock it out.. If it is. Either way it’s a day out of the house...

“I know you’ve got the gear for the job.”  He looks to Rue, who raises a brow.

Carter chokes on a laugh. “Okay, we’ll take care of it.” She sets her cup down in the sink, a sense of finality settling in the air. Riley and Rue exchange glances before standing and leaving the room to go get dressed. “We’ll get ready,” Riley announces, excusing them.

Carter only nods, hands on the sink. “Bring her back unharmed” She says, looking to Ratchet. He smirks. “I presume you’re talking about Riley there, and not Tal.” The two laugh. “Yeah, I don’t give a flying fuck about your girlfriend. But her... she’s family,” She gestures her head at the door Riley had just slipped past.

Ratchet and Clank exchange glances, lips thinned. “Yeah, got it.”

[brooklynislandgirl]

Role-Play Cheat Sheet

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted. Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

mun name: Turtle {or ya know, D also works} ooc contact: Inbox, IMs, if we’re mutuals and you really want to chat ask for my Discord and/or Skype

Who the heck is my muse anyway? Elizabeth Riley is a nurse. Nothing special, nothing unusual on the surface. Scratch deep enough and you’ll find a woman of uncanny ability. Mage, mutant, witch. There are many names for her kind, but she tries to keep her abilities the best kept secret outside of where Jimmy Hoffa is buried. She is also the sister of Sam ‘Falcon’ Wilson’s former wingman, Andrew Riley. 

She exists quietly in the shadow of people much more exotic than herself, that quiet voice of calm in the dead of night, the hand that holds someone else’s and gets them through.

Points of interest:

Beth is...soft. She is sweet. She is gentle. She treats everyone like a long lost friend and has an uncanny knack for understanding what a person needs on a soul deep level. She’s quick to laugh and offer succor. She’s far smarter than she lets on but has never once judged someone for any reason. She’s well off, could live off family money if she chose to, but is a hard worker. She has nerves of steel and doesn’t frighten easy. She’s lived many lives across innumerable centuries. Never quite the same, she’s always been small and delicate and dusky. The only thing she’s retained in all of her incarnations are her eyes, those wide and lovely pools of green with a hint of a honey gold to them. Whether a powered individual or not, and across her verses, one thing that remains a constant is Beth has Auditory Processing Disorder, a learning disability. Also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder, individuals with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) do not recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, even when the sounds are loud and clear enough to be heard. They can also find it difficult to tell where sounds are coming from, to make sense of the order of sounds, or to block out competing background noises. Symptoms include: difficulty processing and remembering language-related tasks but may have no trouble interpreting or recalling non-verbal environmental sounds, music, etc. May process thoughts and ideas slowly and have difficulty explaining them. Misspells and mispronounces similar-sounding words or omits syllables; confuses similar-sounding words (celery/salary; belt/built; three/free; jab/job; bash/batch) May be confused by figurative language (metaphor, similes) or misunderstand puns and jokes; interprets words too literally. Often is distracted by background sounds/noises. Finds it difficult to stay focused on or remember a verbal presentation or lecture. May misinterpret or have difficulty remembering oral directions; difficulty following directions in a series. Has difficulty comprehending complex sentence structure or rapid speech “Ignores” people, especially if engrossed Says “What?” a lot, even when she has heard much of what was said.

She’s also a terrible cook and can scorch water.

The most terrifying thing about Beth...is...you see that shadow there? Just a few feet to her left?  Darker and colder than the rest? That feels like the chill of the early grave and robs you of your breath just thinking about? Yes, that one.  If you look close enough, you’ll see the outline of a man. Tall and predatory. A lethal grace. If you’re lucky, that is all you’ll ever see. If you’re unlucky, you’ll come to find out his woman is NOT your playtoy, and he’ll teach you the error of your ways.

What they’ve been up to recently:

Saving the world, one soul at a time.

Where to find them:

Mostly in New York: In Manhattan {WoD/Main verse}: Saint Vincent’s where she works regular hours and on call. {Defenders} In Hell’s Kitchen: She, along with her partner, an EMT who is also gifted, she runs a free clinic. No questions asked. ~Various AUs~ {Legend} London: A small pub in the East End called The Sole Trader, as owned by Mr. Ronnie Kray. {shifts across various eras...from the 1940s through Modern day, but she’s rarely found beyond Ron’s company} {Xmen} A supporter, believer and general trash-panda of Magneto, Beth wants nothing more but to live in a world where she doesn’t have to fear people because she’s a gifted individual. {MI-5/Spooks} The Hospital of Saints John and Elizabeth {which she finds funny}. {Hawaii-50} Beth’s life took a turn unexpectedly in which she gave up her career in medicine for one in law enforcement, in which she became a rookie under Danny Williams in New Jersey. They were partnered for many years before he took a transfer to be with his daughter, and beth eventually followed in his footsteps, finally returning ‘home’ to Oahu. She currently is an officer with HPD and likes to surf on the weekends. {Agents of Shield} Beth became a SHIELD asset and medic for various teams under the watchful eye of “Uncle” Phil Coulson. Her supervisor, Vivian Harrison isn’t quite sure she’s cut out for the job and there’s often conflict because of her...peculiarities. {Stranger Things} Beth’s father and brother have recently come to rescue/employ of Hawkins Laboratory, leaving the neglected teen-age girl to pretty much raise herself. {Supernatural} A good and decent witch who lives in the hills of Appalachia. She might be dirt poor and illiterate but has a heart of gold. {Peaky Blinders} Set in the 1940s, Beth is a little Romani woman poised to set the world on fire. {The Stepney Mob} The whisper of witch or avenging ghost is quickly hushed in the confines of the Blind Pig and maybe only Davy Lloyd knows the truth {always up for new AUs or places for her to be!}

Current plans:

Doing her job, saving people when he allows her to. Hopefully, saving him from himself.

Desired interactions:

She’s the avenging angel of the down-trodden and ill-spirited, and will patch anyone up for any reason. She is currently also the head of the James Buchanan Barnes protection detail and will kill a bitch for looking at him cross-wise. She’s usually quite reasonable when it comes to playing well with others and can in fact bend over backwards to accommodate rp.

{I’d kill to have a Phil Coulson or other AoS character to play with, I’d love to have a Frank Castle, and I just really wanna make new friends and murder them. With feels. Because murder is wrong. >.>}

Offered interactions:

See all of the above. If questions remain, feel free to msg Turtlemun and we’ll work something out.

Anything else? I like grapes. I drink coffee. I know too many things. A particular note: @brooklynislandgirl is Beth’s blog and my main rp ground. Super-selectively there is a blog for Andrew Riley {her brother and Sam Wilson’s former wingman} which I might share if you ask nicely but keep in mind has to be very canon divergent. Beth also comes with a host of npcs which currently consist of: Ian Barrie of the Firm {Legend} Chauffer/Knife-Wielding Scot/Confident and Loyal to Ron Kray Dmitri Woźniak: Black Market Dealer/Conspiracy Theorist Quothe Ravenchenko: Were-raven and general bane of your existance, what doesn’t say the N word, and will absolutely get whatever you need, whenever you need in one scene change or less. Father Vincent Dafaux: Catholic Priest and Celestial Chorus Mage, nominal leader of the Latch Key Saints cabal. He runs numerous safe houses, keeps his church and rectory open at all hours, and supplies a daily Soup Kitchen and Tent City in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.  Lucien “Luc” Toussaint: A med-school drop out and current EMT with the FDNY out of Bed-Stuy. Originally from Tangipahoa Parrish, Louisianna.

@rxsmyers

Tagging: @lilxlionxman, @ronmanmob, @multi-mused, @reclaimedasset, @jerseysass, @hoouna, @morgansmornings, @drifting-anarchist, @magnetician @lokitheliesmith, @tattoosandmusclecars,  @loneshelby @theregoesthebellhop, @thegreatmariahgatsby, @daddylcnglegs @nctcricus, @leslie-holt, @exanimax, @madteddyrp, @bluebxmfing, @bourbonstreetdevil, @thegloriannaobreen, @therapardalis, @thedarcydichotomy, @therealgamble,  @lucxsnorth, @leomcleod, @hands-cf-fate, @punishmentismyjob anyone else who wants, just tag me back <3