#Secretary Aide Maru

[chernobog13]

The Crew GUYS from Ultraman Mebius pose for their class photo.

I miss the Ultra shows having casts this big, with field teams that actually have enough members to be a team.

[the-universe-in-our-mind]

OCs introductions part 2: Stardew Valley edition

name: Leo Forsythe

age/date of birth: 25 years old/ Winter 28

zodiac sign: Pisces

in a relationship: Yes, with Alex.

best friend(s): Killian (OC), River (OC), Elliott, Gus, Robin, Sam, Sebastian, Milo (OC).

pronouns: He/they.

past occupation: Apprentice chef at a restaurant at his place of birth.

current occupation: Farmer.

farm name/choice: Kenopsia Farm, Riverland farm.

animal(s): Golden Labrador named Carson.

name: River Hearst

age/date of birth: 23 years old/ Spring 15

zodiac sign: Gemini

in a relationship: Yes, with Leah, then Sebastian.

best friend(s): Leo (OC), Sam, Abigail, Milo (OC), Lilly (OC), Eleanor (OC).

pronouns: They/them.

past occupation: Secretary at the post office of their place of birth.

current occupation: Farmer/helper at the museum.

farm name/choice: Chrysalism farm, forrest farm.

animal(s): Grey and white cat named Gustave.

name: Lilly Byron

age/date of birth: 31 years old/ Summer 2

place of birth: Gotoro empire (refugee)

zodiac sign: Aquarius

in a relationship: Yes, with Elliot and Teagan (OC)

best friend: Maru, Gus, Milo (OC), Emily, Willy, Linus, Robin, River (OC).

pronouns: She/her

past occupation: Used to work as a merchand in a big city.

current occupation: Farmer on her farm.

farm name/choice: Wonderland farm / Riverland farm

animal(s): Dog called Berry.

name: Cameron Spring

age/date of birth: 20 years old/ Summer 1

zodiac sign: Gemini

in a relationship: Yes, with Sam, Milo (OC) and Aiden (OC)

best friend(s): Sebastian, Abigail, Linus

pronouns: He/they

past occupation: Student

current occupation: Work at the movie center

name: Aiden Flint

age/date of birth: 24 years old/Spring 28

zodiac sign: Taurus

in a relationship: Yes, with Sam, Milo (OC) and Cameron (OC)

best friend(s): Shane, Maru

pronouns: He/they/zir

past occupation: Teacher in high school

current occupation: Researcher

animals: A dog called Dolly.

name: Simon Roy

age/date of birth: 23 years old/ Spring 17

zodiac sign: Aries

in a relationship: No.

best friend(s): Riley (OC), Sam.

pronouns: He/him

current occupation: Casher at Joja Mart

name: Riley Roy

age/date of birth: 23 years old/ Spring 17

zodiac sign: Aries

in a relationship: Yes, with Haley.

best friend(s): Simon (OC), Emily, Sandy.

pronouns: They/she

current occupation: Teacher aid

animals: A cat named Pumpkin

name: Eleanor Lord

age/date of birth: 24 years old/ Winter 3

zodiac sign: Scorpio

in a relationship: Yes, with Leah.

best friend(s): Milo (OC), Sandy, River (OC)

pronouns: She/her

current occupation: Baker

animals: A guide dog named Scooter.

[cacchieressa]

I started this back in June after I saw Wonder Woman, but it languished for months, and now i can’t remember what I planned to do plot-wise, so have a very brief story of Peggy Carter meeting Etta Candy.

***

A secretary leads Peggy through a bewildering series of corridors that are clearly meant to confuse the unobservant; even she might have a difficult time finding her way back out. The woman finally knocks twice on an unmarked office door, and receives, "Come in," in response. The secretary deposits her in the office and shuts the door behind her, leaving Peggy to face a small, plump woman behind a massive, cluttered desk.

"Michael sent me," Peggy says to the woman behind the desk. "Michael Carter?"

The woman looks up from her typing and smiles kindly. "You must be Peggy. My condolences."

Peggy says, "Thank you," because she has manners, and this woman must have known Michael too, but she didn't come here for sympathy.

Something of her feelings must show on her face because the woman says in a more businesslike tone, "You were at Bletchley?"

Peggy gives her a bland smile and says nothing.

"You can't answer that. I understand." She pushes back from her desk and tilts her head towards another door, this one behind her. "Well, come on, then. Mustn't keep them waiting."

They pass a room full of code-breakers, not so different from what Peggy left behind at Bletchley, and her guide is stopped repeatedly in the hallway--asked questions, handed files, passing those files on to someone else. It's not a word Peggy would normally use, but this woman bustles, and things happen around her, possibly because of her. And Peggy still hasn't caught her name.

The woman finally stops in front of another office door. "They'll give you a proper interrogation, so if you need a cup of tea afterward, come back and see me."

"And you are?"

The woman laughs, as if Peggy's just said something hilarious. "That'll teach me to think everyone knows who I am." She holds out a hand. "Etta Candy." Her hand is warm and her grip is firm, and Peggy remembers the name from stories that were whispered around the lunch room and Michael's occasional tales of undercover heroics. "You supported the mission to stop Dr. Maru during the Great War."

Etta purses her lips, and an odd, sad expression flits across her jolly face. But all she says is, "Yes."

Peggy doesn't press. There are still many things above her clearance level, after all.

Peggy's interrogation goes well--she's officially signed up as FANY, but is quickly assigned to F Section, where she finds herself dropping into occupied France in order to aid the Resistance.

Michael was right. She's good at it, so good that she gets seconded to the Americans shortly after they join the war. The Strategic Scientific Reserve isn't as well-funded as the SOE, but once she's brought Dr. Erskine back from France, she's sure he'll help the Allies win the war.

She doesn't expect Steve Rogers--not the skinny, asthmatic version of him, nor the taller, more heavily muscled version. She's not prepared to love him or lose him, no matter what she'd told herself about getting involved with soldiers before she ever got sent on a mission.

Peggy's a woman who breaks rules, and that includes the rules she's made for herself.

She's not a hypocrite--she demanded that Steve respect Barnes's choice, and she can do no less than respect his, even if sometimes it feels like he took her heart down into the ice with him. She doesn't have time to mourn, though; there's still so much work to do, and the SSR will continue to do it once the war is over, and Peggy with them. She'll just be doing it from New York.

She's packing up the London office when Etta Candy appears in the doorway.

"I hear you've had some adventures," she says.

"Yes," Peggy replies. "Rather more than I expected, to be honest."

"That's always the way," Etta says, her sympathy tinged with a knowingness that keeps Peggy's hackles from rising. "Do you have time for a cuppa?"

"Of course."

Once again, Etta leads her through a warren of offices, and Peggy lets her, though this is a maze she could walk with her eyes closed.

The tea shop is familiar--the same drab, shabby place Peggy's grabbed tea or lunch over the years when she couldn't stand staring at the familiar walls and corridors of the office any longer.

The stunning woman seated at the corner table is new, though, at least to Peggy. She'd remember if she'd seen her before.

Etta takes the seat next to the woman and gestures for Peggy to sit down across the table. "Peggy, I'd like to introduce you to Diana Prince. Diana, this is Peggy Carter."

"Etta's told me all about you," Diana says, offering a well-manicured hand for Peggy to shake. Her grip is firm and her palm callused. Her English is lightly accented--Greek, or perhaps Portuguese.

"Funny, she hasn't mentioned you." Peggy smiles to soften the sting of her words just a touch.

"When we first met, you asked about the Dr. Maru mission," Etta says. "Diana was instrumental in foiling the doctor's plans."

"I see."

A waitress brings a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits they haven't ordered to the table, and while she pours, Peggy feels herself being weighed and measured by Diana's keen gaze. She tries to recall what little she's heard over the years about that operation, and inhales sharply when she remembers.

"You do see," Diana says.

"Yes, I suppose I do."

Etta squeezes Diana's hand and then reaches across the table to squeeze Peggy's, and Peggy's throat tightens at the sympathy, and the knowledge that she is not alone.

"They are gone, but there is still so much work to do. We can honor their legacy."


"And forge our own."

Diana smiles, wide and bright despite her lingering sorrow. "Yes."

"I knew you would get on swimmingly," Etta says with a smug grin.

"Yes, yes," Peggy replies with a wry grin of her own. "I suppose this could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

[lejendarydreams]

The Muse - Episode Four - The Survivor of the Dark Plague

Years ago, Clio was bitten by a strange man who was infected by the dark plague.

A mysterious guy shot the strange man and killed him. Clio cried in pain. He was bleeding. The mysterious guy took him to the hospital where his parents were. He introduced himself as Ehren. He was wearing a UG uniform.

Clio was bitten in the shoulder, in an area where cutting leads to death. Both Clio's parents were doctors, but his father was a scientist as well. His father only had theories on how to approach the dark plague. There was no cure yet.

Before anything else, Clio was losing blood. He finally fell unconscious. His parents looked devastated. Ehren felt their despair. He volunteered for blood transfusion. As soon as it was done, he left the hospital.

After few moments, Clio woke up, feeling sadder than he has ever been. He cried and cried. Doctor Heinz, Clio's father, thought of dealing with the first stage symptoms which was terrible depression. He injected him with anti-depressants.

The people infected in their area was rising again. Mishuno had to tend to her patients aside from Clio. But Clio was put on isolation, in a basement laboratory, and in a cage, chained, in case his infection gets worse.

His father gave up his patients and took care of Clio instead. He experimented different chemicals that would slow the symptoms from escalating. And it was successful. It has been a week and Clio has not turned into a glutton. But whenever the drug falls off, he would feel terrible sadness, to the point of insanity. Doctor Heinz would not give up on his son and kept curing him, experimenting different drugs from time to time.

These drugs were also tried to other patients on the first stage symptoms but their symptoms did not slow down like Clio's. They had to euthanize those patients as soon as their skin texture changed. Heinz realized Clio was different, and special. His symtoms would not rise up the first stage. He all he had to do was approach the case per symptoms.

One day, Heinz thought of reducing his drugs and resorting to mind therapy. Heinz taught him to divert his thoughts through inventing something. And so his days were filled with inventions, drugs, and on and off torturing depression. It was successful. Five years went by, Clio learned to manage his thoughts and countered the sadness by trying to be happy. He focused on his inventions and became really handy. He also listened to The Muse's songs, even became a crazy fan. Heinz knew it was already a permanent cure. He shared this experience to the Maru to help the cases of dark plague. But when he left to work for them, he never came back.

Mishuno and Clio eventually had to move to Earhart. With Clio's inventions selling off, he bought an entire hospital. This also was fated for him to meet his hero, Ehren whose UG Headquarters were located below their hospital. After some time, they met again and he was recruited to join UG.

Fastforward. After Clio left Riantheliss, he went straight to Ehren, who is now the commander of UG.

"What brings you here, boy?" Said Ehren while smiling

"You're not going to welcome me back? I was gone for three months!" Said Clio.

Ehren embraced him. "You gotta clean up the laboratory you burned." He teased. He did burn a laboratory months ago, but that's another story to tell.

"To apologize, I shall bring you a great great news!" Clio exclaimed. Ehren sat back on his throne.

"Make sure, it can make up for the damage." Ehren said.

"Okay, listen. When I was young, 14 to be exact, I met a girl. You remember this story?" Clio asked.

"Yes, who later on became the best singer whom you are so crazy about. Clio, I know already." Ehren said.

"Well you probably got it wrong because, she was reportedly missing for three days now." Clio said.

"She's missing. The great Muse is missing, that's the great news?"

"And there's this girl who calls herself Riantheliss whatsoever, she's the winner of today's annual recruitment process, the girl who went back from the hole! And she's in the infirmary right now, I checked on her, and she looked exactly the same... as... the Muse. No, it's her, my deductions are right, I can never be wrong. It's her. The muse is here! My muse is here!" Clio excitedly uttered.

"That means war with the theurgists if we keep her here." Ehren said.

"Wai-wait! No! I haven't had an autograph yet. And... and... who knows it's actually her? She's in disguise. Nobody noticed, well except for me, since I'm a genius and I stared at her photos almost all my life." Clio said.

"Did you tell her you know?" Ehren asked.

"No, ofcourse not!" Clio denied.

"How about we pretend not to know?" Ehren suggested.

"I don't know, let's try and just be cautious. So what do we do?" Clio asked.

"Take her here. We have to know her intentions." Ehren commanded.

Clio left and went back cautiously to Riantheliss.

"Ah... Rian... I mean, Ri, just Ri. Okay, let's go." He said as his eyes are distracted, trying to avoid her eyes.

"You know. You know, right?" Ri asked.

"What?" Clio tried to pretend. They went out of the room and walked. While walking, they encountered Tanvi, Ehren's secretary and Clio's friend. He tried to cover the muse and kept the conversation short. Riantheliss realized something's off with him. So he grabbed him by the wrist to the corner. She looked at the wrist and laughed. It has the logo of the muse, suggesting his fanatism.

"Now I remember. I met you before, haven't I? Who else knows?" She asked like threat.

"Uhh.... eh...." Clio was still starstruck and wondering what to say.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like threatening you. I'm just hoping you wouldn't blow up my cover. Right. Judging you and how you pretended you didn't know and how you covered for me, I could say that you're on my side, right?" The muse said. Clio nodded charmingly. "Good boy. I'll give you an autograph if things went smooth for me." Riantheliss added.

"... Actually, I told the commander." He smiled and winked. "Let's go."

Riantheliss felt a little nervous.

They entered the commander's room.

"Welcome, lady, and congratulations for passing the recruitment process." Ehren pretended to just got to know her.

"I know you know. Let's proceed to negotiations." She said.

"Straight and fast." Said Ehren.

"She got me." Clio said.

"First, settle down and tell us why you're here." Ehren requested. She sat down and told her history with Kingsbirth and what's going on with the dam, also Maru's plan on doubling the sacrifices.

"I'd like to seek help in resolving this... and I'm also in search of my parents... whom I never knew... at all." Riantheliss said.

"The UGs have been battling with the Maru for ages. We knew about this and were constantly aiding the lower ranks and protecting them from the Maruns. We helped contain the plague and provided assistance on those who seek. But in the past year, we have fallen shorthanded. We'll do what we can, trust on that, and prepare to engage in battle." Ehren said.

"You'll let her?" Clio doubted.

"We have to be fair. You chose us. You fight with us... there's no special treatment. We respect your new identity while hoping not to engage in conflict with the theurgists." Ehren said.

"As long as they do not know I'm here. I request your aid in protecting my identity." Riantheliss requested.

"Then let's get you a new SRAM." Clio said.

"As for finding your parents, I'm afraid we do not have the expertise to do so. We'll talk more after you settle your things. As for now, Clio shall assist you on your SRAM and lodging." Ehren said.

"Lodging?" Clio wondered.

"There's a vacant room in your penthouse. We can't let her stay with the others for safety purposes." Ehren teased him.

"As you say, Commander". Clio politely said. As they left the room, he signed to him "You're the best!".

They took an elevator to the penthouse. They went in.

"This is our penthouse. My mother and I lives here. Remember Mishuno? She's at work downstairs, at the hospital. We moved in few years ago. This is Mishuno's room, this is my room, please do not enter, and then, as for your room, there's an unused room upstairs." Clio toured her to the penthouse. They went upstairs and entered her room.

"By the way, your things?" Asked Clio.

"I came empty handed." She answered.

"Oh good. Full sponsorship, yes, as I thought. Don't fret, UG got you." He laughed.

"Thanks a lot." She said as she realized that everything was going well. It also seemed that she can get along easily with Clio.

"Pardon me but I just gotta say that, I've been a fan for many years. I always listen to your songs, whenever I'm sad or feeling happy or whatever. Just gotta say that those really helped me and I'm the happiest to encounter you personally. I'll always be at your service, Muse." Clio expressed his fondness of her. The muse, as if it's nothing new, reacted neutral.

"Also, from now on, since you'd be staying here, I hope we could be friends." Clio added.

"I'm sure you know a lot about me. Tell me about you." Riantheliss requested. "We'll have long hours working on this SRAM." She said.

And so Clio told her about his inventions and his duty on the Underground. He also talked about some members and the system of the organization... all while working on the SRAM.

NEXT EPISODE:

https://lejendarydreams.tumblr.com/post/622974725900124160/the-muse-episode-five-under-the-night-sky

[feminist-elizabethan]

Absolutely killing it at the box office ($438.5 million worldwide thus far), Wonder Woman introduces a new type of superhero – a woman who is both unflinching fierce and compassionate.

Diana, alongside her mother Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), learns of WWI from Steve.

Diana (Gal Gadot) is an Amazon who has always been attracted to combat and felt a strong sense of purpose and determination. She, however, has never had a chance to apply or devote herself to a cause as she has always lived on a peaceful and isolated island. When a mysterious man (Steve Trevor as played by Chris Pine) thus arrives on her island and informs her that a world war is occurring, Diana decides to aid humanity (despite all odds and doubts) and sets off on a journey to end the greatest of human wars.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

Wonder Woman passes the Bechdel test; it is shaky on whether or not the film passes the Russo test; and Wonder Woman does not pass the race test.

Diana tosses aside a man in a bar.

Wonder Woman supports a cast of both women and men. These two genders, however, rarely interact with one another as the film is divided into two parts – Themyscira, the exclusive home to Amazon women and Europe, a man’s land where women, apparently, are an endangered species as they rarely make an appearance. So how does this division of women and men impact Wonder Woman in relation to the Bechdel test? Well, women do talk to each other on several occasions and while only some of the women who talk to each other are named and men are mentioned at least 50% whenever women speak to each other, there are several instances where named women talk to each other without mentioning men so Wonder Woman passes the Bechdel test. Though it should be noted that most of the conversations that take place between the women of Wonder Woman occur because the first 30-40 minutes of the film is comprised of only women. After Diana leaves Themyscira, for example, there is only one other time that women have a conversation with one another and that’s when Diana first meets and befriends Etta Candy (Lucy Davis), Steve’s secretary. Diana and Dr. Maru/Dr. Poison (Elena Anaya), the only other woman of note in the second half of Wonder Woman and a baddie, don’t even speak to one another (in fact, they only encounter each other at the very end of the film and they merely lock eyes).

Antiope fights the Germans.

When it comes to other kinds of diverse representation in Wonder Woman, the film does not fare well. For example, there is only one hint that LGBTQIA characters even exist in Wonder Woman and this is when Antiope (Robin Wright), Diana’s aunt and mentor, is shot and killed by German soldiers and Menalippe (an Amazon) runs to Antiope’s side and cries out in anguish. It is suffice to say that this reference to a same sex relationship puts into question whether or not Wonder Woman passes the Russo test. After all, while Antiope is not solely defined by her sexual orientation (e.g., she is, first and foremost, defined as a warrior and as Diana’s mentor) and she is tied into the plot in such a way that her removal would have a significant effect (again, because she is Diana’s mentor and she shapes the woman that Diana becomes), the actual reference to Antiope’s sexuality is so loose and vague (not to mention that it occurs so quickly that if you blink you’ll miss it) that it is difficult to say that Wonder Woman fully satisfies “identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, queer, asexual and/or transgender” portion of the Russo test.

Wonder Woman does no better when it comes to the inclusion of people of color and meeting the standards of the race test. Case in point, there are only a few people of color in Wonder Woman (e.g., there are a couple of Black Amazons, Sameer [Saïd Taghmaoui] and The Chief [Eugene Brave Rock]); non-White individuals only speak a couple of lines throughout Wonder Woman; there is only one instance where people of color talk to each other (e.g., Sameer discusses breaking into a party and he thinks that he is talking to both Diana and The Chief, but unbeknownst to him, Diana had already left his presence before he had started talking); and Wonder Woman fails to pass the race test because the one time that non-White individuals talk to each other, they do so with the intention and belief that they are also speaking to a White woman (Diana) and they actually mention her while speaking to each other (e.g., once Sameer realizes that Diana wasn’t around while he was speaking, he questions Chief as to where she has gone).

*The Bechdel test entails three requirements: 1. It has to have at least two (named) women in it 2. Who talk to each other 3. About something besides a man

**The Vito Russo test entails three requirements: 1. The film contains a character that is identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, queer, asexual and/or transgender 2. The character must not be solely or predominately defined by her sexual orientation, gender identity and/or as being intersex 3.The character must be tied into the plot in such a way that her removal would have a significant effect

***The race or people of color (POC) test has three requirements: 1. It has two people of color in it 2. Who talk to each other 3. About something other than a White person

****Just because a film passes the Bechdel, Russo and race test does not mean that it is not sexist, heterosexist, racist and/or cissexist, etc. The Bechdel, Russo and race test is only a bare minimum qualifier for the representation of LGBTQIA individuals, women and people of color in film. The failure to pass these tests also does not identify whether the central character was a woman, a person of color or a LGBTQIA individual and it does not dictate the quality of the film.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test: Wonder Woman Absolutely killing it at the box office ($438.5 million worldwide thus far), Wonder Woman introduces a new type of superhero – a woman who is both unflinching fierce and compassionate.