#afro tales cast

[ink-flavored]

Find the Word Tag

tagged by @ink-enchanted, thank you!

Rules: Find a scene or paragraph that features one of each of the four prompt words given to you by the previous player, then give the next players four different words to find.

My words: surrender, gilded, distant, and linger.

I had to fudge most of these, but rest assured they are at least related to the original prompt words! All from P&J

Surrender -> Abandon

He abandoned the movie to look up at him, watch his face. No halo formed around his head from the flickering light, no surreal glow to make him any brighter or more beautiful than usual. And he was, though pensive, staring ahead at the TV with no reaction to the scenes playing in front of him. The worried thing inside Pride grew insistent. It didn’t want to sit here. It didn’t want to watch the movie. It wanted to do something to make him feel better, to soothe the dread in his heart. Pride knew there was no real way to do that, he couldn’t fix the problem they were marching into, but he did agree with it on one thing. He didn’t want to watch this movie. He didn’t want to spend the night pretending things were normal when they weren’t. He didn’t want to act like this wasn’t as much of a waste of time as panicking. He didn’t want to go to bed tonight with regrets, and he definitely didn’t want to wake up alone. If this was going to be his last night with Justice, he wanted it to be special.

Gilded -> something gold colored

“Come on,” Justice said. “You still didn’t tell me where you’re taking me,” Pride complained. And again, he didn’t get an answer. Justice walked backwards with both of his hands in his own, still smiling. His halo glowed brilliantly, a miniature sun casting rays over his shoulders. Wherever they were going, he seemed so confident about it.

Distant -> Distance

With the door open, and his breathing evening out, it was quiet enough that Pride heard voices. Muffled by distance, the low tones of a serious conversation floated to his ears. Steeling his resolve and ignoring the pain, Pride continued his trek. Going down the hall was easier than he thought, able to lean against the wall the whole way down. At the corner, he stayed back, and peeked around the threshold. He saw a flash of Justice in the kitchen, moving between counters to grab at ingredients and utensils, and… Kindness, her back facing him and afro rimmed with angelic light. So she was back.

Linger

Argument won, Pride arranged his improvisational meal on the counter. He expected Justice to wander away or scold him about using a recipe again, but he didn’t. He hung by the edge of the room, hands folded. It would have been easy to ignore if he didn’t look so alert. He had all the purpose of someone who was about to say something, but never did. “Can I help you?” Pride asked. “No,” Justice hesitated. “I’m tired, I’m going to lie down for a little bit.” “Okay. I’m not stopping you.” “I know.” Every step he took toward the hallway lingered. “Thanks again. For coming.” Pride nodded, feeling his insides twist like they had the first time this conversation happened. “You invited me.” “And I’m glad you came.” “Well. You’re welcome.”

Your words: never, rust, great, celebrate

Tagging: @foxys-fantasy-tales @noblebs @vacantgodling @hallwords @sigridhawke @friendlyshaped @jezifster and anyone else who feels like sharing!

[synergysilhouette]

Diversity in fantasy: How Disney could've done better in the live-action department

I've talked about it before, but what's one more time? Something I--and other people--have found grating is Disney's desire to remake all their films, thanks to the financial success of several of them. It's worth noting that Disney has struggled to corner the live-action market with original content, as they often flop critically and financially, and remakes (and in the case of "Pirates of the Caribbean," adaptations of their rides) seem to be their strongest bet. That said, Disney has shown both a desire to try something new while advertising the films as the same thing. One of these changes includes the racial/ethnic diversity of actors in the story. The most notable example is "The Little Mermaid," which not only uses a black actress to play Ariel (whose human form definitely looked white), and the setting of the film moved from a European land to the Caribbean, both of which sparked controversy to fans. For those who supported or didn't mind the change, there was the question of why Ariel was played by a black woman, but Eric was played by a white man, with the argument being made that Disney wanted diversity but wasn't fully ready to commit to it. Certain things like this made me realize that if Disney wanted to really to diversify, they could have, while telling original stories--well, not entirely original, but not remakes.

The Little Mermaid told in the Caribbean--IDK if Disney would wanna get into the history of Afro-Caribbean people and how they arrived in the area due to colonization, but it'd be interesting to see diverse casting like Disney did with their 2023 film, prioritizing black, Indigenous, and French actors (not sure where the film takes place, but if I was making this, I'd probably put it in a French-speaking area over a Spanish one). And I've heard that many mermaid stories in the Caribbean are African-derived, so perhaps the king of the seas is one of many powers in the ocean and coming to the islands from Africa to safeguard his people. I'd also toy around with the idea that his wife was a human and that it ended badly, thus explaining his daughter's fascination with humans and why he so vehemently tries to curb her interests. Nothing specific planned, but it'd be amazing for Disney to make a 100% new take on the fairy tale unrelated to Ariel and co, with Lin-Manuel Miranda doing all the songs. And while I'd love for a more sea-like design for the mermaid over her semi-human appearance in Disney's version, it plays into the "she wanted to be human because of body dysmorphia" misconception. I would like her to have a unique, distinct design like Ariel's sisters did in the remake, though.

2. Cinderella (or any fairy tale) set in Spain--To my understanding, 2015's "Cinderella" takes influence from the Victorian era for their unnamed kingdom, though a significant suitress for the prince's hand in marriage is Princess Chelina of Zaragoza, an obviously Spain-coded kingdom. Most often, Disney (and other American fantasy films/shows) use a generic European influence that may have some British hints to it due to historical connection to the land, making it unique and rare when other European influences are used, ie Scandinavia with "Frozen" and France with "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Beauty and the Beast." Every country is different, but a Southern European story would be unique among the fantasy genres in western media. Disney attempted this with "Wish" (though I don't know how culturally accurate it was), but the film itself was middling, regardless of cultural accuracy. I think that offering a Spanish take on Cinderella would've offered a unique perspective on fairy tales.

3. Snow White in South America--Rachel Zegler's casting as the first Disney princess was met with similar reaction to Halle Bailey's, with everyone noting Rachel's complexion not being correct for the role, and even going as far as mentioning that due to being partially Latina (her father is Colombian if I recall; Colombia's a very diverse place, so I can't speak on his racial background) should've excluded her from the role. It wasn't helped by concerns that Zegler didn't actually appreciate or even like Disney's first film, but that's another thing entirely. In any case, Zegler mentioned how big Blanca Nieves is in Latin America, and it makes me wonder why Disney didn't do a Latin-American take on the tale. To my understanding, filming took place all the way from 2021 to 2024. In 2021, "Encanto" came out and was a big hit. While it'd be a monster for production, changing the setting early on to ride off of that success wouldn't be shocking. I don't know if Disney would want to do Colombia again so soon, but it's an idea that wouldn't feel out of place. I don't know if they'd want to do a story during Spanish colonization, or a fictional kingdom post-colonization during the 19th century.

[positivelybeastly]

How do you feel about X-Men '97 coming back?

"Quite the meritorious happenstance, don't you think? One might have thought our tale lost to the annals of history, a dusty page in a tome left up on a shelf to be only occasionally perused as a curiosity or in a pique of nostalgia . . .

But it is not to be so!"

"As Tennyson himself said, "Cannon to right of them, cannon to left of them, cannon in front of them, volleyed and thundered; stormed at with shot and shell, boldly they rode and well, the X-Men.'

. . . Paraphrasing, of course."

I am incredibly excited.

Now, that's not to say that there aren't issues already - this is very much a nostalgia driven series, aimed pretty much precisely at me and my generation, and if I'm objective about it, I would have preferred it if X-Men: Evolution had come back instead. In terms of long form storytelling and character development, it was just better than the 90s show.

There's also some iffiness going on with Sunspot, who's joined the main cast - I believe his skin tone is incorrect, which is a common problem with a lot of Latino and Afro-Brazilian characters in comic books to this day, and given that they've made the cool choice to make Morph non-binary, I would've figured they'd want to depict Sunspot as accurately as possible?

That being said.

It just looks fucking good, man. Ray Chase is doing an amazing job of channelling the original Cyclops actor, who is no longer with us; the animation still feels very much in keeping with the original show, while still looking a MILLION TIMES BETTER (I completed a rewatch of the show not long ago, and hoo boy does season 5 especially look really rough); and after so many years of Krakoa comics, there's something to be said for going back to basics.

Is it a reversion? Yeah, a little bit. But I like my X-Men to be warm, and a family, and friends, and to play baseball and basketball, and not to all fucking hate each other, so sue me, I'll accept a step back for the story if it means I get the characterisations I prefer back.

Besides, the comics still exist for people who want the Krakoan stuff, so a bit of more original flavour X-Men for those of us who don't want our mutants to be living in various kinds of dystopia won't hurt anybody.

This also gives the show runners an opportunity to fix some of the issues the original show had, like a much more weakly written Jean and Jubilee than they ever were in the comics, and a chance to adapt some storylines that have NEVER been adapted before, like Inferno. I'm optimistic!

And, selfishly? Between the Marvels, X-Men '97, and what's currently going on in X-Force, I'm just ready for Beast to be written well again. I'm really hoping that he gets some good dialogue, a fun fight scene, maybe even a focus episode this season, but so long as he isn't doing some abominable shit, then I'll happily take it.

Maybe that makes me fickle or easy to please? Guilty as charged, then. I'll happily be easily pleased, because it means I'm fucking happy with what I get. :P

I don't know if I'll have a '97 verse? I can already tell you it'd be verse: hated and feared, but there's not a lot that's substantially different about TAS Hank to how he was in the 90s. That being said, I'm DEFINITELY going to try and get my hands on as many caps as possible - as you can already see, the lad looks so handsome!

[thecomicsnexus]

TMNT X STRANGER THINGS #1-4

July/October 2023

By Cameron Chittock, Fero Pe, Sofie Dodgson, and Rus Wooton.

The gang from Hawkins goes on a field trip to New York, where they discover an invasion of Demo-mousers, and together with the ninja turtles, they'll try to close a portal to the upside down.

SCORE: 9

This could have been a 10 from me, but to be honest, the plot was a little too complicated to follow. I would have preferred one more page of exposition about what happened to the utroms that got left behind.

The real star of this mini is Fero Pe. Not only these turtles (and cast) look like they jumped right out of the first few years of TMNT, but they also look A LOT like the NECA action figures (the ones based on Peter Laird's designs).

With that mind, I have the suspicion that Fero Pe uses action figures to draw. Because I was looking at one of his covers for the main book, and the turtles looked a lot like the Playmates figures for the 2012 series.

In any case, I would love a Turtles book that looked like this, perhaps an anthology series like Tales (but I assume the name "Tales of the TMNT" will be taken for the foreseeable future). And maybe taking place in the Mirage universe?

The personalities are all on point, and if you are wondering, no this isn't the Mirage universe, but it looks like a spinoff universe from it, that also includes the Stranger Things characters.

As for the gang from Stranger Things, the story clearly takes place between seasons 2 and 3.

Overall, I am happy with the results, it looks good for both universes.

One interesting detail is that April in this story is the one with the perm (based mostly on the cover of TMNT #11), and once again, her ethnicity is a guess game. I am not sure why, as they could have simply made her Afro-Latina for this mini. But in some panels she looks white, and in others she looks more like Donna Summer... this was probably a colorist decision.

Another interesting detail is how the demo-mousers look like Peter Laird's prototype from the 2000s series (the one before the 4kids show).

I wonder if that played any part on this, or if it just came out naturally?

[worldwidenews29]

Kamala Harris: From Prosecutor to Vice President of the United States

Kamala Harris's journey to become Vice President of the United States is a tale of ambition, perseverance, and groundbreaking achievements. From her early days as a student at Howard University to her role as a prominent figure in criminal justice reform, Harris has left an indelible mark on American politics. Her ascent to the second-highest office in the land has sparked enthusiasm and hope for many, particularly among women and people of color.

Harris's path to the vice presidency has been marked by several notable milestones. Her time as California's Attorney General and her tenure in the U.S. Senate paved the way for her historic nomination as the first woman of color on a major party's presidential ticket. As Vice President, she has taken on crucial responsibilities, including leading efforts on immigration policy and championing the Inflation Reduction Act. Harris's commitment to LGBTQ+ rights and her role as President of the Senate have further cemented her position as a key player in shaping the nation's future.

Kamala Harris's Formative Years

Family Background and Influences

Kamala Harris's mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was an Indian biologist and civil rights activist from Chennai, India. [1] Born on April 7, 1938, to P. V. Gopalan and Rajam, Shyamala belonged to the Brahmin caste and was a gifted singer of South Indian classical music. [1] After winning a national competition as a teenager, she pursued Home Science at Lady Irwin College in New Delhi before unexpectedly applying for a master's program at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1958. [1] Shyamala eventually earned a PhD in nutrition and endocrinology from UC Berkeley in 1964, the same year Kamala was born. [1]

Kamala's father, Donald J. Harris, is a Jamaican-American economist and professor emeritus at Stanford University. [1] Born on August 23, 1938, in Saint Ann's Bay, Jamaica, to Beryl Christie Harris and Oscar Joseph Harris, he has Afro-Jamaican and Irish-Jamaican heritage. [1] Donald received his Bachelor of Arts from the University College of the West Indies in 1960 and later earned a PhD from UC Berkeley in 1966, where he met Shyamala through the civil rights movement. [1]

Education and Early Career

Kamala Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, to Shyamala and Donald. [2] [3] She and her younger sister, Maya, were raised primarily by their mother, who instilled in them a commitment to civil rights and social justice. [2] Harris attended Howard University, a historically Black college, where she was active in the civil rights movement and the Black Student Union. [2] After graduating from Howard, she earned a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. [2] [3]

Shaping of Political Values

Harris's parents were active in the civil rights movement and brought her to civil rights marches in a stroller, teaching her about heroes like Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and civil rights leader Constance Baker Motley. [4] This exposure to the fight for equality and justice at a young age shaped her political values and commitment to building strong coalitions that fight for the rights and freedoms of all people. [4]

Prosecutorial Career Highlights

Alameda County District Attorney's Office

After graduating from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Kamala Harris took a position in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, where she specialized in prosecuting child sexual assault cases. [13] As a Deputy District Attorney, she also prosecuted cases involving homicide and robbery, working at that office from 1990 to 1998. [13]

San Francisco District Attorney

In 1998, Harris was named managing attorney of the Career Criminal Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, where she prosecuted three strikes cases and serial felony offenders. [13] She served as the first woman District Attorney in San Francisco's history from 2004 to 2010, becoming the first African American woman and South Asian American woman in California to hold the office. [13] [14]

As San Francisco's District Attorney, Harris was an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, officiating the first same-sex wedding after California's Proposition 8 was overturned. [14] She also started programs focused on re-entry services and crime prevention, and was known for her tough stance on violent crime. [15]

California Attorney General

Kamala Harris served as California's Attorney General from 2011 to 2017 after winning her first race in November 2010 by a slim margin over Republican Steve Cooley. [14] As Attorney General, she secured a $20 billion settlement for Californians whose homes had been foreclosed on and a $1.1 billion settlement for students and veterans who were taken advantage of by a for-profit education company. [14]

Harris launched initiatives to curb recidivism, with subdivisions focused on program development, evaluations, and grants. [16] In 2015, the California Department of Justice became the first statewide agency to adopt a body camera program for all special agents, and Harris launched law enforcement training on implicit bias and procedural justice. [16] She also initiated a criminal justice open data initiative to increase transparency and a dashboard for public criminal justice data. [16]

Harris had a strong stance against truancy, releasing the annual "In School and On Track" report from 2013 through 2016, which detailed truancy and absenteeism rates in the state. [16] She called for harsher consequences for parents of truant children, a policy she had implemented as a prosecutor. [16] [17]

National Political Ascendancy

U.S. Senate Tenure

Harris served as the junior U.S. senator from California from 2017 to 2021; she defeated Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 Senate election to become the second African-American woman and the first South Asian American to serve in the U.S. Senate. [20] As a senator, Harris advocated for gun control laws, the DREAM Act, a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, federal legalization of cannabis, as well as healthcare and taxation reform. [20] She gained a national profile for her pointed questioning of Trump administration officials during Senate hearings, including Trump's second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. [20]

[thealmightyemprex]

October 20th 2023:EMprex's Horror Marathon part 3

So I finished the third film an hour ago ,and have already started film 4 but might as well share my thoughts on Theater of Blood

Vincent Price plays a Shakesperian actor who is murdering critic with the help of an army of homeless people

LOVE this movie,asimply superb and wonderfully twisted horror comedy .PRice is in top form,the supporting cast is great (Including Michael Hordern,Carol Browne,Robert Morley,Jack Hawkins ,Milo OShea and Harry Andrews ),Ian Hendry is excellent (And I had no clue he was also in Tales from the Crypt ),and Diana Rigg is wonderful

Highlights include a fencing scene,camp gay afro Vincent Price and Price qouting both Hamlet and King Lear

Now I am a half hour into 4th film Dracula

@amalthea9 @ariel-seagull-wings @the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @makingboneboy @filmcityworld1 @princesssarisa

[ollyalrightyy]

Sorry to butt in but I always found this argument weak. It always fails to mention the numerous European shows that have all white casts. I’ve seen shows and movies from Spain or Ireland with all white casts with absolutely no backlash. There’s a reason people criticise Western shows for nearly all white casts and don’t criticise primarily white countries in Europe.

It’s expected for movies in Bollywood to have an all Indian cast, It’s expected for shows set in Spain to have an all white cast it’s expected for movies like Song of the Sea or Wolfwalkers to have an all white casts because their based on Celtic tales and it’s expected for any K-drama to have a whole Korean cast. But for stories set in New York (a city full of people from multiple backgrounds including Black, Asian and other people) to feature only white people in centre stage or the background or set it in ANY area in America that’s diverse with only white people is when it gets really iffy. America prides itself in being a diverse place with “freedom” but fails to showcase that diversity. They’ll use aesthetics from POC for sci fi films to make their worlds look “Alien” but hardly ever allow actual POC into those spaces.

Countries like America and Britain have a large population of immigrants and POC so it would weird for them to only feature white people in this day and age after decades of only featuring white people despite the large population of POC who influence the culture of those countries.

And to add to you mentioning Hispanic shows (I’m assuming you mean Latin American shows?) Many shows in Latin America have been criticised REPEATEDLY for their lack of diversity. With many shows set in Mexico only featuring light skin or white Latinos and not including the rest of the vast diversity (the brown and indigenous latin people and Afro Latinos). That’s why movies like “Encanto” were such a triumph because it showcased the diversity within Latin spaces. And it was telling to see how many were surprised to see that black people could be considered Latino.

I’m saying this as a person from South Africa, where there are a large population of Indian and white people in this country along with the black people native to this country. That diversity impacts our culture, our food, our holidays and our history. So many of our media reflects that (though it’s only fair for me to admit that we still need way more.) As someone in South Africa I can tell the difference between shows set here or set in more Central African countries that have mainly black people and all black media. It would be disingenuous to exclude any form of diversity in films set in this country because that diversity impacts the culture surrounding it and it would be disingenuous for me to criticise a country with only black people for having mainly black media.

I’m sorry if that wasn’t what your post meant but I just felt like saying this because of how often people compare countries with one majority race to countries like America that have multiple races that ultimately impact it’s culture.

If a countries culture is it’s diversity and large POC population than wouldn’t it be unfair for so much of that diversity to be repeatedly whitewashed or erased repeatedly? To be sidelined in stories all the time and whenever you have any opportunity to be front and centre it’s called “forced” or “unnecessary”?

I understand your perspective but if you really do think about it’s really weird to see how much Black, Latin or Asian Americans influence the overall culture in America but are barely represented outside of stereotypes.

Nothing screams you’re racist more than being threatened by the existence of characters of color & dismissively calling it “forced diversity.” It actually pisses me off so bad that brown & black people still have to deal with this in fandom spaces, when I’d argue that even when a character of color is involved they’re usually not as fleshed out as their white counterparts are

[roseredsnow]

High Republic character of the day

Leox Gyasi (he/him)

Leox is a human pilot on a ship called the Vessel.

He was confirmed asexual by Claudia Grey in 2021.

(Personal headcanon based on his description and the two of pieces of art is that he's mixed, in fan casts I tend to be looking for afro-latino, or Latino indigenous)

Leox tends to be shown as laid back, often underestimated but fully protective of Affie Hollow (seen in the right picture) to me as sortve an uncle way.

He enjoys music and while doesn't entirely understand the Jedi way does help them out.

Reading order:

Out of the Shadows

High Republic adventures 6+7

High republic annual

The Fallen Star

Tales of Light and Life

[lostinaflashforward]

LIAFF SPECIAL #7: Jordan Peele - Il cinema terrificante e spettacolare

Carissimi lettori, ben ritrovati con un nuovo appuntamento con LIAFF SPECIAL,  la rubrica dedicata all’approfondimento di personaggi e temi nel mondo dell’intrattenimento. L’argomento per questo mese riguarda uno dei registi più insoliti e particolari dell’attuale panorama cinematografico, trattasi di Jordan Peele. In questo articolo impareremo a conoscere il cineasta statunitense, partendo dalle sue origini come attore comico, fino all’analisi approfondita dei suoi noti lungometraggi, i quali rappresentano perfettamente e in maniera diversificata la visione portata avanti dal regista.

The comedian: chi è Jordan Peele?

Jordan Haworth Peele nasce a New York il 21 Febbraio 1979 da padre afro-americano, Hayward Peele jr., morto nel 1999, e da madre bianca, Lucinda Williams. Cresciuto con sua madre nell'Upper West Side di Manhattan, Peele ha studiato fino al 1997, per poi formare un duo comico assieme a Rebecca Drysdale, ex-compagna di scuola e futura sceneggiatrice di Key & Peele. Fino al 2002 Peele si esibisce a Chicago ed altre città in performance comiche e musicali, per poi entrare nel mondo della televisione l'anno successivo, con il suo ingresso nella nona stagione di Mad TV, un programma di sketch comici, dove farà coppia con Keegan-Michael Key. Nel 2008 Peele lascia Mad TV e si mette in proprio, creando musica e contenuto a sfondo parodistico e satirico, appare in alcune serie televisive e film, fra cui l’adattamento televisivo di Fargo, la già menzionata Key & Peele, serie co-creata con Keegan-Michael Key e andata in onda dal 2012 al 2015, e l'action-comedy Keanu, sempre in coppia con Key. Nel 2017 Jordan Peele si da’ ufficialmente alla regia, coronando un sogno che ha sin dall’età di dodici anni, e produce negli anni anche altre opere, fra cui si ricordano la nuova versione di The Twilight Zone, Hunters e Lovecraft Country.

Get Out: fuga dal delirio

“Man, I told you not to go in that house.”

Nel 2017 Jordan Peele esordisce come regista cinematografico, optando per un horror con elementi di commedia, affermando come i due generi siano incredibilmente simili tanto per il ritmo, quanto per l'affidarsi alle rivelazioni nel corso della storia. Per scrivere il film, Peele afferma di essersi ispirato a The Stepford Wives (1975), uno dei primi esempi di film horror con sfumature satiriche, e che per lui il film è molto personale, soprattutto per quanto riguarda la tematica del razzismo. Con l’aiuto di Keegan-Michael Key, Peele presentò l’idea al produttore Sean McKittrick, il quale rimase parecchio entusiasta del progetto. Peele scrisse la sceneggiatura in circa due mesi e il casting iniziò qualche tempo dopo, con Daniel Kaluuya e Allison Williams ad essere scritturati per primi. Peele racconta di aver scelto Kaluuya per il ruolo del protagonista dopo averlo visto nell’episodio di Black Mirror “Fifteen Million Merits”, mentre per Williams il regista ammette che la scelta dell’attrice è frutto di una manovra per disorientare il pubblico, dato che il suo personaggio appare all’inizio del film come una persona di fiducia, per poi rivelarsi l’opposto nella seconda metà della pellicola, con la scena dove sceglie la prossima vittima e sorseggia del latte sulle note di “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” scritta proprio per rafforzare il lato oscuro del personaggio. Tutto viene studiato a tavolino da Peele, dalla scelta della location in uno stato americano dove non predominavano atteggiamenti razzisti, alla presentazione del “sunken place” come metafora del cadere in un luogo oscuro e pericoloso per poi risalirvi, interpretato da alcuni critici anche come chiave di lettura per raccontare la paura vissuta dalla popolazione afro-americana sin dall’inizio della loro storia. Tale componente aveva portato Peele a temere che il film non potesse avere successo, a causa di un eccessiva identificazione da parte dei bianchi e degli afro-americani che lo avrebbero visto, e ha influenzato anche la colonna sonora, curata da Michael Abels, le cui tracce hanno voci di cantanti afro-americani ed elementi della musica black. Il finale originale del film prevedeva che Chris venisse arrestato dalla polizia dopo aver strangolato Rose e che Rod, invece di salvarlo, lo andasse a trovare in prigione, offrendogli aiuto per smascherare la famiglia Armitage, cosa che Chris non avrebbe ritenuto necessario. Secondo Peele, tale epilogo rifletteva la realtà legata al razzismo, ma durante la produzione del film, Peele optò per un “lieto fine”, anche alla luce degli episodi di violenza contro gli afro-americani da parte della polizia accaduti in quel periodo (in realtà il regista aveva considerato diversi finali, alcuni dei quali sono inclusi anche nei contenuti speciali del DVD/Blu-Ray del film). A dispetto delle previsioni il film incassò moltissimo al botteghino e fu acclamato dalla critica per la storia, l’interpretazione, la regia e soprattutto il sottotesto sociale, arrivando infine ad ottenere quattro nomination agli Oscar 2018, vincendo solo come miglior sceneggiatura originale. Riguardo all’interpretazione del suo significato, la visione più condivisa è quella dove il film è visto come una rappresentazione critica dell’America post-razziale, dove gli antagonisti non sono gli estremisti bianchi, ma i cosiddetti liberali, i quali, per quanto bene possano comportarsi nei confronti degli afro-americani, in realtà rendono loro la vita disagiante, riducendo le loro figure a un modello estetico e nient’altro.

Us: il lato oscuro prende vita

“Once upon a time there was a girl, and the girl had a shadow.”

Essendo rimasto turbato dalla confusione di generi usata in Get Out, Peele affermò che il suo secondo lungometraggio dovesse essere un horror a tutto tondo. Per scriverne la storia, Peele racconta di essersi ispirato all’episodio di The Twilight Zone “Mirror Image”, che parlava di una giovane donna e del suo oscuro doppelgänger, e che l’idea degli esseri incatenati nel sottosuolo deriva dalla sua esperienza ogni volta che prendeva il treno per tornare a casa, affermando che ogni volta che passava sotto una galleria, vedeva un riflesso di se stesso. Nel 2018 ebbe luogo il processo di casting, con Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke e Elisabeth Moss a venire scritturati per primi, seguiti dal resto del cast. Peele afferma di aver sempre visto la famiglia Wilson come un episodio di archetipico quartetto, dove Adelaide (Nyong’o) è il leader, Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) è il guerriero, Gabe (Duke) è il giullare e Jason (Evan Alex) è il mago. Per interpretare il suo doppelgänger, Nyong’o ha usato una voce differente, affermando di essersi ispirata alla condizione nota come disfonia spasmodica, in cui la voce di chi ne è affetto è soggetta a regolari spasmi, aggiungendo anche di essersi preparata in maniera sicura con l’aiuto di terapisti e medici specializzati. Le riprese durarono per tre mesi e all’uscita nelle sale il film ebbe un grande successo, con la critica che ne apprezzò la regia, la sceneggiatura, l’interpretazione della Nyong’o e la colonna sonora di Michael Abels, difficile da dimenticare. Come per Get Out, anche in Us c’è stato un dibattito riguardo al significato del film. Alcuni ritengono che vi sia un collegamento fra gli esseri del sottosuolo, le leggende urbane e la paura per il diverso, altri affermano che il film rappresenti il classismo e il dualismo degli Stati Uniti, arrivando a pensare che il titolo del film potrebbe significare U.S., l’acronimo per United States (Peele avvalorerà questa ipotesi, affermando in seguito che uno dei temi principali della pellicola è il concetto di privilegio). Il film è ricco di riferimenti cinematografici, letterari e della cultura pop, dalle inquadrature alla Stanley Kubrick, all’effetto horror ereditato da film come Jaws e A Nightmare on Elm Street, al riferimento alla figura di Michael Jackson, specialmente nelle tute rosse indossate dai doppelgänger, fino alle citazioni della Bibbia, in particolare al libro di Geremia, dove si parla della caduta della civiltà causata dai falsi idoli.

Nope: un terrore spettacolare

“We are being surveilled by an alien species I call << the Viewers >>. And though they have yet to emerge from their ship, I believe they trust me. If they didn’t, I don’t think any of us would be here right now.”

Nel 2019, la Universal Pictures annunciò di aver stipulato un accordo quinquennale con la Monkeypaw Productions, casa di produzione di Jordan Peele, e l’anno seguente il regista si mise al lavoro sul suo terzo lungometraggio, raccontando di averlo scritto in un momento in cui vi era preoccupazione riguardo al futuro del cinema, a causa della pandemia di Covid-19, e che pertanto intendeva scrivere un film spettacolare, il quale avrebbe riportato il pubblico nelle sale cinematografiche. Peele aggiunge anche di aver scritto la sceneggiatura rinchiuso in casa e che questo lo ha portato a scegliere il cielo come il soggetto del film, sapendo che il mondo da un lato intendeva tornare all’esterno ma dall’altro aveva vissuto un trauma profondo, che lo spingeva a chiudersi in se stesso. Nel Febbraio 2021 Keke Palmer e Daniel Kaluuya si uniscono al cast, assieme a Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea e Keith David, con le riprese che si tennero da Luglio a Novembre di quell’anno. Il film uscì nelle sale nel Luglio 2022, essendo il primo film di genere horror ad essere girato con la tecnologia IMAX, ed ebbe un grande successo, con la critica che ne esaltò la visione ambiziosa, la regia e l’interpretazione, finendo nella top 10 dei film del 2022 redatta dall’American Film Institute e venendo definito uno dei migliori film fantascientifici del ventunesimo secolo. Naturalmente anche Nope è stato soggetto a un approfondita analisi, e la critica evidenziò che i temi più rilevanti dellla pellicola erano il concetto di spettacolo e di sfruttamento del dramma e del trauma, menzionando il riferimento alla cancellazione della presenza afro-americana nell’industria cinematografica, fattispecie nel genere western, motivo per cui all’interno della pellicola viene citato Buck and the Preacher (1972), il primo film ad avere dei cowboys afro-americani, o anche la figura di Ricky Jupe (Yeun), il quale sfruttava l’incidente avvenuto nella sitcom a cui aveva preso parte da bambino e anche la presenza della creatura per crearsi la propria fama. La creatura aliena è chiaramente una metafora, a detta di Peele, di una minaccia d’altro mondo, nonchè un qualcosa che ci accomuna, vale a dire il rapporto con lo spettacolo, citando come riferimento per la sua rappresentazione il famoso anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, il quale contiene notevoli riferimenti biblici.

What’s next: il futuro del regista

Jordan Peele non si ferma di certo qui. Infatti la Universal Pictures ha confermato che il quarto lungometraggio del regista uscirà nelle sale a Natale 2024 (data soggetta a variazioni a causa dell’attuale sciopero della WGA). Come per i precedenti progetti, Peele non ha ancora svelato nè la trama, nè il genere del film, nè tantomeno il cast, ma siamo fiduciosi che il regista saprà regalarci nuove e terrificanti emozioni. Intanto, se non avete avuto ancora modo di vedere i suoi film, vi consigliamo di recuperarli, ne vale davvero la pena!

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[afrotalescast]

Dive into the enchanting world of Miss Molly Cottontail on the Afro Tales Podcast. Uncover the cleverness of this folklore character.

[brujeria-histeria]

No shade but that’s why i didn’t watch troll hunters or tales of arcadia or whatever one it was first past like 2 episodes. Like some stuff i can watch despite having a zero black or bipoc cast and enjoy it, some stuff Im just like “White again?” boring.

There’s also shows that have supposed Black or afro latino characters and they don’t look anything like they got a lick of Black in them. Like please where you saying that after the fact or? Lets not forget the biggest offense of non Black characters speaking in AAVE but no Black characters anywhere in the show. AAVE is not Gen Z speak, there are words gen z kids have come up with that aren’t AAVE. Most of these shows co-opt AAVE.

[synergysilhouette]

Plotting out "Boto" (Disney Movie)

Make sure to check out the summarized version of this and other stories in my post about the second part of the Resurgence Era! (And disclaimer: this post is a quick creation that is not the result of years like an actual film would be, and thus may not match the storytelling/music that properly reflects the culture.)

Background

Following the success of "Encanto" and positive reviews from the Latin American community because of it as well as Disney's significant Brazilian fanbase, Disney opts to do a fantasy musical set in Brazil. They immediately tap Lin-Manuel Miranda to do a musical again, and it's said that they considered him being a writer/director for the film, but decide instead to search for Brazilian talent. Walter Salles was a contender to direct the film, but Disney opts for Luiz Bolognesi to direct it, writing the screenplay with Alê Abreu (though Jared Bush does make some story contributions). Disney takes from the Brazilian legend of the boto--a dolphin who can take on a man's appearance and seduces women--as the basis, though Disney reflects on the fact that they've only had one mermaid movie, and opt to make the boto a merman instead, with the main protagonist being a mermaid for a significant portion of the film. Another significant change was going from making the film in modern Brazil to making it a medieval kingdom heavily influenced by Brazil to make it feel more Disney-esque. Given Brazil's significant Black population and the mixed feedback Halle Bailey's casting as Ariel received, Disney opts to make the lead Afro-Latina. As time, her background is refined with her boto father going from a European-looking man (inspired by Aquaman) to an Indigenous-looking man, and her mother, who was originally of African descent, is changed to an Afro-Asian woman with Japanese ancestry. Disney originally planned to make the film 3D, but felt like 2D would be cheaper for water effects, as well as taking influence from anime, such as "Pokemon" and "Ponyo."

Plot

Naiara grew up with her mother and father, never having a want or desire for anything, save for more self-confidence, being a shy young woman. However, one day she hears her grandmother recount a distant memory, she realizes that her biological father is a merman. Enchanted by her magical heritage, she ventures to find him in a kingdom within the Atlantic Ocean. But when she finally reunites with him, she finds that there may have been a reason he's been absent for so long. With her home in danger as well as the oceans she's come to love, Naiara must summon a form of courage she never knew she was capable of.

Characters

(The images below reflect my inspiration for either the characters' design and/or personality, along with serving as a visual aid to the reader of this post rather than just looking at text.)

Naiara Jatobá Cavaleiro--A shy woman who becomes a mermaid after discovering her biological father is a merman, she is shocked on how she acted on a whim, and writes a letter to her parents to tell them where she's gone. While she feels a rush of adrenaline exploring a world that was previously thought to be excluded to the realm of fairy tales, she quickly realizes that the world below is as dangerous as the world above, and the bioluminescent glow that her mermaid form carries doesn't help her blend in like she'd prefer. It looks like she'll have to get used to standing out. Besides, she can return to the

(Ariel art by Asayris on Twitter)

Zélia--Naiara's first friend as a mermaid, Zélia is a mermaid known for being clever and mischevious, ie the opposite of Naiara. It's revealed that she's an agent for King Renato, but often wanders off to her own devices. When the situation between the sea and the ocean, as well as Naiara's involvement in it, is revealed to be more complicated than she expected, she planned on fleeing and cutting her losses, but her loyalty, while not easily won, was earned by Naiara, and she refuses to let her get hurt--particularly when Zélia feels partially responsible for Naiara being underwater anyway (which she is).

Caetano Jatobá--As a human, he takes the form of a Brazilian man of predominantly Indigenous ancestry and takes on the first name he could think of. it is in his nature to charm women, and since merpeople such as he never see their human children again, he thought nothing of charming a local woman, and didn't worry about her possibly becoming pregnant. However, a few years later, he was alerted of this, and a strange sense of loss encircled him. (Throughout the film, it's heavily implied that the reason for this is he was almost infertile.) But even when he thinks of returning to meet his child, forces beyond his control prevent him from seeing her.

(And for anyone curious, the merman art is official art from a Ken doll. The boto art was made by ggZeppe and taken from Redbubble)

Renato--While originally assisting Naiara in her quest to find her father, he soon realizes that she was a human, and leads her on a wild goose chase. As the king of the ocean, he abhors humans and those who fraternize with them due to the damage they've done to his domain as well as their lack of respect to his authority. With time however, his pain was contorted into a perverse desire to not only prevent humans from seeing his kingdom, but flooding the earth to put it all under his control. That said, he puts on a ditsy, oblivious persona in front of his subjects. As a "true" merman incapable of taking human form, the world above burns and suffocates him, and when Naiara, the first human-mermaid hybrid to reach his kingdom, appears before him, he plans on toying with her and keeping her out of his way while he destroys that which she holds dear. Thanks to her taking a mermaid form, she's upset the balance of land and sea, allowing Renato to go about enacting his plans.

Songs

By the Beach--Naiara is enjoying another day, though her lack of social skills prevents her from socializing with others. As such, people talk about how odd she is, as she spends most of her time at the beach by her home. Any time someone tries to befriend or talk to her, Naiara eventually becomes flustered and embarrassed, earning people's pity or laughter.

What If---Upon freeing a mermaid named Zélia from a fisherman's net, Zélia says Naiara has a magical look in her eyes, and questions if she's the daughter of a boto. While Naiara is hesitant, Zélia coaxes her into letting her aquatic insticts awaken, allowing her to become a mermaid at will, and vows to help her find Caetano.

Glow--Naiara's bioluminesence makes itself known to the other merpeople, an unusual trait in the merworld, attracting the king's attention. While Naiara is used to people saying how odd she is, she's unused to the juxtaposed positive attention she receives from it, with other merpeople wanting to befriend her and even find it an attractive trait.

Take for Granted (Disease)--King Renato explains to Naiara his disdain for the human world, but doesn't let all of his malice come through, instead making it sound like he's annoyed by it. Taking advantage of her popularity and insecurity, Renato tells her where she can find her father, and she doesn't realize that her bioluminescence leaves a visible trail at night for Renato to follow.

Anywhere--Naiara reunites with Caetano, who is perplexed by her at first, but quickly grows to her. As he's never been a father before, he lacks the discipline and concern that a parent would have, coming off more as a friend to her, and she recalls her father on the service, and realizes that leaving him with a note rather than talking to him face to face about seeing her biological father may have been her taking him for granted. Zélia picks up on his somewhat absent mind, and suspects he's being controlled.

New Waves--Renato enacts his war upon the surface world, revealing he put Zélia's life in danger with the fisherman in order to get Naiara's attention, as well as partially brainwashing her father so he didn't remember her, and thus she would eventually come to him rather than the other way around (not that he had knowledge of her having a stepfather).

By the Beach (Finale)--With the conflict finally over and Renato's son taking over as the new ruler of the seas, Naiara returns home to her concerned parents. She resumes her life as if nothing happened, though with a bit more confident and security with herself. A short time later, someone arrives at her doorstep: a human Caetano and Zélia.

I hope you enjoyed this! Lemme know if you have any questions.

[empatheticsociety]

A Class Of Clairvoyant MINI

*Click Images if the resolution is Low or Blurry*

Artist Involved: @tae-kun/@sosamariposa/@varakis

Want to buy the Full-Length Comic and support a Black-Owned Business at the same time?

CLICK HERE to donate to our Kickstarter.

Each donation comes with rewards such as: Free Shipped Physical Copies, Enamel Pins, Posters, and Free Commissions from @afro-ami and @sosamariposa

This link will also show brief summaries of the rest of the cast with more dope art showing off the chaos of this comic series.

Please Like. Share and Comment your Favorite Character! Our Kickstarter is hitting its last few days so any Support is Greatly Appreciated!

What Is Class Of Clairvoyant?

Class Of Clairvoyant is a Fictional Comic set in the early 2000s in a newly announced and mysteriously hidden town. This town is surrounded by an almost never-ending forest filled with weird creatures and unexplainable anomalies; constantly plaguing and disrupting this peaceful yet eerie town.

The only thing protecting this small town and unveiling its mysteries are a small group of kids with their own unique and ever-growing abilities. As they explore this town and its imposing forest, they will discover truths and secrets that will not only change them, but the world around them in ways that will literally warp their reality..

How did they get powers? Who Created this town, and Why? Where do these monsters come from and are they actually trying to harm us? What is actually going on with David's hair and will he grow BALD???

All questions that will be revealed as this comic trucks along into the future.

If you love stories like Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, ParaNorman, SCP and Owl House, then you'll love this.

We have designed this story to not only be a fun tale of Action, Mystery, and the occasional Horror. But also be a "coming of age" story, where we follow and grow with these kids as the struggle with Mental Health, Restrictive and at times Offensive Societal Norms, and all of the other challenges that comes with just growing up in an constantly evolving world

We Highly Recommend that you check out our Kickstarter if you want to see more details including small BIOs of each Character (With Comic Previews) as well as what your support will help make within Empathetic Society and what you'll receive with each donation.

Please Like and Share with any and everyone that you think would like to read or support this. Every action helps and is Greatly Appreciated.

*Thank you for taking the time to read this, and we'll be seeing you on our next upload 😁🙌🏿💖.

[animebw]

Short Reflection: Durarara

Durarara’s a show I’ve been excited to check out for a while now. It’s based on a light novel series from the same author as Baccano, and Baccano is one of the most deliriously entertaining shows I’ve ever watched. From its impeccably eccentric cast of characters to its hypnotically twisting plot, Baccano knows how to kick ass and take names like few other anime. And Durarara doesn’t just share Baccano’s author; the same studio and director that brought Baccano to animated life- Brain’s Base and Takahiro Oomori- were also behind its anime production. Surely, with all the same creatives in charge, Durarara would be just as much a rip-roaring good time as its spiritual predecessor, right? Well... no, sadly, it’s not. Not even close, in fact. And while it would be unfair to simply define Durarara as a worse Baccano- it’s its own show, it deserves to stand on its own- the many ways it disappointed me can’t help but draw comparison to its sister series. How could Baccano succeed so brilliantly while Durarara, which shares so much of its DNA, fall so short?

First, though, what’s Durarara all about? Well, that’s a little hard to pin down. It’s not so much a story as it is a portrait of a location, a hyper-stylized Ikebukuro full of street gangs, quirky vendors, transient guests, and supernatural forces lurking just under the surface. Think Kekkai Sensen if the POV characters lingered on the outskirts of the city’s paranormal underbelly instead of diving right into the thick of it, and you’ll have a pretty good idea what you’re in for. The nominal protagonist is Mikado Ryugamine, a teenage boy who’s just moved to Ikebukuro to attend high school there and reconnect with his childhood friend Masaomi Kida. But much like Baccano, this is a show where most characters could reasonably describe themselves as the protagonist without it sounding forced. And while there’s some semblance of a larger plot, it’s nowhere near the tightly engineered swiss watch of narrative machinery that defined Baccano. It’s a tale of the various people living in Ikebukuro and all the ways their lives tangle around each other, not so much driving relentlessly toward a single destination as wandering down the streets and back alleys, seeing what ‘s there to be discovered around every corner.

In other words, Durarara is almost entirely driven by its characters. And credit where it’s due, this is where the show is at its strongest. Author Ryougo Narita is nothing if not a master at juggling large casts of eccentric, interconnected players with diverse agendas and perspectives on life. From the grumpy, violence-prone superman Shizuo Heiwajima to the pacifist Afro-Russian sushi hawker SImon Brezhnev, from the slippery, snakelike information dealer Izaya Orihara to the mysteries headless rider who patrols the city on motorbike, the world of Durarara is chock-full of entertaining personalities who clash and collide in countless enjoyable ways. It also helps that these characters are brought to life by a murderer’s row of the most iconic voice actors in the industry. Hiroshi Kamiya, Daisuke Ono, Mamoru Miyano, Kana Hanazawa, Miyuki Sawashiro, Jun Fukuyama, Yuki Kaji, Yuuichi Nakamura, Keiji Fujiwara, Ayahi Takagaki... barely a scene goes by without at least two legendary seiyuus flexing their talents in conversation with each other. It’s hard not to have fun when you’re surrounded by that much talent.

So if Durarara does such a good job capturing Baccano’s interlocking cast dynamics, why does it stumble so hard? Why did I feel my interest, initially so high, slowly slipping away with each passing episode? Well, there are a few major issues, none of which would be a dealbreaker on their own, but they all compound on each other to disastrous effect.

First, and most obviously: the lack of plot. Baccano’s plot was tighter than an oyster in a corset, always driving relentlessly forward even as it jumped and and forth across time. As I mentioned above, though, Durarara doesn’t really have much of a plot. It has individual arcs, sure, and things do happen, but you never get a sense that they’re building to anything more meaningful than “Well, that was interesting.” Even when the final arc tries to deliver something resembling closure for the characters, it never feels any less like just one detour among many. Sure, not all stories really need to have a strong structure, but there’s something so frustrating about how aimless this show can be. how it drifts between disconnected story threads and random urban fantasy Macguffins that never coalesce into a greater whole. It feels very much like Narita wrote this story solely to indulge in the characters’ dynamics, and what little plot we get is hastily cobbled together as an excuse to give those character dynamics a space to exist in. And I sympathize; that approach is how I started writing the webcomic I’m currently publishing. But at some point, you do have to make the plot more than an excuse.

Of course, a lackluster plot can be forgiven as long as those characters are strong enough to carry it. Which brings me to the second issue: the character arcs.

See, one of the most fascinating things about Baccano is that very few of its characters actually have arcs, per se. They show up as fully formed people, with their own well-established goals and philosophies, and the fun comes from watching all those perspectives and personalities bounce off each other. Very few of them change or grow as a result of their experience on the train, but it doesn’t matter because the push and pull between so many extreme, confident chess pieces is all the drama you really need. Durarara, in contrast, leans much harder on traditional character arcs... and they’re just not that good. People rarely change in ways that feel earned; it’s like the story decides at random when they’re able to grow from their experiences. The biggest offenders here are Mikado, Kida, and their female friend Anri, who form a classic YA Power Trio at the heart of the show. Everything about their growth and conflict feels so underbaked, especially when it saddles them all with the same goddamn twist backstory. Seriously, all three of these kids have a twist backstory and they all essentially boil down to the same exact reveal. It was cool the first time, but after the third time, it just comes off as overly convenient writing.

And then there’s the third issue, one that’s a little harder to describe. The simplest way to put it is that Durarara has a lot of romantic subplots, and they almost uniformly suck. But that doesn’t quite capture the problem clearly. It’s not just bad in the way that you’d expect a bad romantic subplot to be; it’s more like this show’s perspective on love itself is so unnatural that it infects every attempt it makes to tell a love story. Remember that dumb subplot from the Baccano OVAs where Chaine Laforet falls for the weirdo who stalks her and basically tries to smother her with his affections? Well, the same kind of thing happens here, except the characters hang around as a couple once they make it official so you’re forced to marinate in how awkward their relationship feels. The climax of the first big arc also seems to suggest that stalking for love is romantic (though amusingly, the show is equally forgiving of male and female stalkers alike). Another subplot revolves around a teacher who tries to sleep with his students, and it’s presented as uncomfortably as it should be, but then it completely changes course and goes “Syke! Actually, the bad guy here is a student he seduced who turned into a crazy jealous yandere bitch!” And it all comes wrapped up in this weird slut-shaming about Anri being a parasite who relies on strong men to protect her because she’s too weak to protect herself, and it’s like, what the fuck are you even trying to say here? Why is this show’s perception of love so fucking warped? I don’t demand perfect healthy relationship dynamics from the media I consume, but every time Durarara touches on lust or romance, it just comes off gross and wrong and disconnected from reality. And when so many of its subplots have romance as a central component, it very quickly crosses from annoying to exhausting.

Is Durarara fun? Ultimately, I’d say yes; the characters and their interactions are so entertaining on a base level that it would be hard to ruin them. But ae those fun interactions worth sitting through so much aimless, uncomfortable nonsense? That, I’m less certain of. If Baccano was an explosive fireworks shower of fun, Durarara is a bargain-bin box of summer sparklers set off in a muggy rainstorm, struggling to stay alight. Whether you compare it to Baccano or let it stand on its own terms, it’s a distressingly flawed show. Hopefully future seasons will improve on these flaws and bring Durarara to the heights it has the potential to reach. Until then, though, I give this first season a score of:

5/10

Oh, I almost forgot: Isaac and Miria have a cameo and it’s the best thing ever. God bless these incredible dumbasses.

[formerprincess]

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 58

Chapters: 58/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

Liam has to take care of a very important matter. And there is an invitation...

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Liam immensely enjoyed working for Ellie. She was happy to show him her craft, teach him things, but she was also very easygoing, and as long as she saw him trying, she loved him and was thrilled with his performance. Also, Ellie knew about the supernatural, so she completely understood when he looked at his phone after it chimed with a text, just in case his pack needed him. Not that anything had come up in the few weeks since Liam started working for her, but he liked to have this option. He didn't have to hide anything, and Liam realized how much better he felt with that.

When work was slow, they talked about a lot of things and Ellie taught Liam some things about supernatural creatures. She had laughed loudly at the story about the fairies in their garden and proceeded to elucidate the different variations of fairies and elves. There were plant fairies, water fairies, sun fairies, and almost that many elves classes. Just like there were different weres out there. Liam felt kind of silly he didn't know about any of this and one day voiced his thoughts. Was he simply ignorant or just blind?

"Neither. You're from a town where none of those things exist. Don't blame yourself for that", Carlie said. Carlie was one of Ellie's three best friends, the other two being Libby and Simone. All three were at Ellie's age and the friends had a weekly meeting at the shop where they sat together, talked about their lives, drank tea or coffee, and ate cookies. Carlie herself was a petite woman with short spiky hair and big square glasses. From what they had told Liam upon first meeting, they all were elves but Liam secretly suspected Carlie of being a pixie. She was cheeky, witty, always said what was on her mind, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. Needless to say, Liam liked her. "Yeah, but I also feel like I should know more." "You know enough. About Onis and Berserkers and Kitsunes and hell and other terrible things. You're twenty. Most guys your age know how to party and wear their base caps the wrong way." She bit into a cookie. Liam laughed. "My boyfriend likes to wear his caps the wrong way. He looks hot with it. But he also knows other things." "You have so much time to learn still. Don't worry. Even we old ladies don't know about any supernatural being out there", Simone comforted him and filled her cup with some more tea. She was the opposite of Carlie; tall, thin, and the quietest of the bunch. "I also agree with Carlie, you know about terrible things, traumatic things, things one should not know about. Especially not this early in life. But unfortunately, trauma is also experience. " Liam made a face. He sat down on the armrest of one of the chairs Ellie had placed around. "I just could have lived without some of those experiences. I mean, I could have gone without the experience of being homeless but hey. Maybe that's just me." Ellie put her arm over the backrest of her chair and turned to look at Liam. "When have you been homeless?" They talked about a lot of stuff but Liam's life story, she only knew parts of it. Good parts. He didn't want to deliver sob story after sob story. Liam had a good life, he knew some people had it worse. He cherished that. Now he exhaled loudly through his nose and then he told the four women how the hyenas came into town and caused havoc, how they finally destroyed the house and left the pack picking up the pieces. He ended with the move to the new house.

After he finished, his listeners were shocked. "You experienced all this and you still find it in yourself to be such a happy and polite young man?" Libby asked in awe. She was usually full of life and laughed loudly, her afro curls always bouncing around her round face, but now she was stunned. Liam shrugged. "What's the option? Turning bitter? It worked out in the end. Doesn't mean I will ever forgive them for what they did but no one died, at least." "You are a terrific young man, Liam", Ellie praised. He smiled softly. "Thank you."

The store door opened and Angela, Ellie's oldest daughter, stepped into the shop. She was a lawyer and used her breaks to visit sometimes. She greeted everyone happily and hugged her mother. Liam ran to get her a fresh cup and dragged another seat to their circle so he should sit and interact with the group. She squeezed his arm in a silent thank you as she sat down and accepted the cup. "What were you guys talking about? Is everything okay?" She asked good-heartedly. "Liam just told us about those horrible, horrible hyenas who destroyed his house" Libby filled her in. Angela raised both eyebrows. "I hope none of you were harmed." "Everybodys fine. We managed to get out in time before the house exploded. I'm just grateful I got my brother out of town before it happened." "Oh, you have a brother? I didn't know that." Angela loved kids and had specialized in family rights. She claimed she liked to help kids get justice. "Hm." Liam nodded. He walked to the cash register where he left his phone and while he walked back searched through his pictures. "Landon. He's almost ten." She showed her and the rest of the women the picture and they all cooed how much alike the brothers looked. "You said you brought his out of town? So I take he's usually living with you? Your parents must appreciate such a tight brother's bond." Angela was surprised but happy. Liam hesitated. "Landon's not my mother's son. We're half brothers. Same dad. Well, father. Sperm donor. My biological father is...he's a piece of shit. Alcoholic. Abuser. You get it. I didn't even know Landon existed until we met months ago by a pure coincidence. The circumstances don't matter but in the end, Theo and I took him home with us. Not a chance I would have let him stay with that man. So he lived with us in the house. Until I brought him to the lake to keep him safe. He lives there now." Liam missed Landon terribly but they were all still so young, they could not care for a child properly. Byron and Lana were perfect for that task and Landon also liked them. He blinked. "But enough of sad stories. Let's talk about something different, okay?"

****** He was cleaning up after Ellie's friends had left. After he had basically pleaded for a change of topic, the talk had revolved around lighter topics and ended on a very funny note. Now Ellie was in the back, doing some accounting, and Liam manned the front of the store. Angela was the only one still there. Now she stepped to the cash register where Liam was currently filling some jars with bagged candy. "I'm going to tell you something, not as a friend but as a lawyer, okay? And I need you to listen." She looked serious and Liam tensed. What happened? "Did I do something wrong? Is your mother mad at me?" "No. But listen." She tapped both index fingers on the counter. "You need your biological father to sign his rights over to you as fast as possible. What you said about him, having him in Landon's and your life is dangerous and not good for either of you. So you need to act fast. Have him make you Landon's legal guardian." Liam frowned. "I planned on doing so once I turned twenty-one. I wasn't aware I can do it now. Thought I had to be twenty-one." Angela shook her head strictly. "No. You need to do it now. In most states, anyone who is eighteen years old can become a guardian. Look, who tells you your father agrees to it in a year? He still holds guardianship and can make decisions for your brother. If he does not sign over his rights, he has so much time to cause harm. You said Landon's almost ten. That means another eight years of having the right to decide about medical procedures, school enrollment, the living situation. Even if Landon stays with you, all it takes is somebody checking who is the legal guardian for Landon. Could be school, could be a doctor's office, or if he gets in trouble it could be the police. If he's in the hospital. For eight years, you have to always fear for this to happen. If your father does not sign his rights over." "If he does not do it on his own, I will take him to court." Angela shook her head even more firm this time. "Honestly? They will ask you where Landon lived for the past year. Legally, what you and Theo did was kidnapping. If you manage to get a strict judge, that alone will cause you to lose the case. Landon will get sent back to his father and you're probably not even allowed to see him. I told you, I'm not telling you this as a friend. As your friend, I understand why you did it, as a lawyer I have to inform you about this likely possibility. The only chance you have is to have your father make you his guardian." It was a hard pill to swallow and Liam gulped. He had been naive, he realized now, and considered it all easier than it was. And maybe Landon had to pay the price for his neglect. "Thank you, Angela", he mumbled sadly.

****** Liam sat in his car and watched the house across the street. The sun was beating down and these barren landscapes made the air even drier. The dusty roads stirred up sand whenever a car raced by. Bleak. He cast a look at the passenger seat. All documents he needed were laying there, including a pen. Now all that Liam was left to do, was get out of the car, walk up to the door, and get a signature. Angela's stern talk from days ago had left Liam rallied. Once he was home, he had told Theo about everything and the couple had to admit them taking Landon out of the house had been a stupid move from the legal point of view. They had emotions get the better of them and now this potentially harmful situation had arisen. Theo had supported Liam in whatever was needed to ensure he would become Landon's guardian but the Beta was also not a lawyer and as much at loss as Liam.

Thank god for Angela. She had helped Liam set up the documents Emmet had to sign and those documents Liam grabbed now when he exited the car. Theo was not with him, his boyfriend didn't even know Liam was here. Nobody knew. This, Liam felt, was something he had to don his own. Maybe to find a deserving ending. Maybe to test his control. Or maybe this was stupid but then again, Liam could proudly admit he was doing stupid crap now and then. Stiles, according to his own claim, could show Liam a list.

He let out a shaky breath when he walked through the unkempt front lawn. Some new beer bottles and cans had gathered around the chair. Emmet was not there but Liam heard his heartbeat through the ajar window. You're not going to kill him, Liam. He does not deserve you getting your hands dirty. Liam knocked at the door. Inside the house, he heard some bottles falling and Emmet's slurred voice mumbling.  Then scuffling steps and the door opened. And the young Alpha had to gasp and take a step back. "God, you stink!" The stench of booze, beer, and sweat made him almost gag. Disgusting, his man. "You. What do you want?" Emmet slurred angrily and grabbed the door for support. Liam turned his head away and took a few breaths. He willed his nausea down and turned to face his father. "How long have you been drinking, alkie?" "What do you care? Why are you even here? I don't want you." "Trust me, I don't want you either. But I need something from you and that means I have to come here. I would rather be somewhere else, believe that." "What? Want money for the little gremlin? I'm not giving you a dime." Emmet swayed on his feet. "I don't need your money. Go inside, before you fall flat on your face. I'm not catching you." Liam pointed inside the house. His father made a step towards him. "I should beat the crap out of you for talking to me like that and not stop til you're whimpering. Do you know who I am?" "A sorry excuse for a worm." Liam pushed his biological father by the shoulder and he stumbled back. As drunk as he was, he didn't stand a chance against an Alpha.

Emmet was taken by surprise but managed to catch himself at the table. He spewed a few curse words in Liam's direction before he shuffled around and fell on one of the chairs with the grace of a sack filled with potatoes. Liam closed the door and followed inside. His nose twitched and he wanted to retch at the smell and how dirty everything was but he kept himself from it last minute. This was not for him, this was for Landon. "How's your mother? Still wailing about how horrible I am? The slut should be lucky an honest man wanted her." "My mother is neither a slut nor are you an honest man. Don't mention her or I break your nose." Liam felt his anger building up. This was a test for his control and he might fail it. "Piss off! She's the reason you're such a weak bastard. Wonder what happened with the other one. He's just as weak. Cried whenever I hit him. Begged me to stop. Just like you. Oh, I remember you. Your mother screamed and cried when the ambulance came. I would have left you on the ground. Would have taught you a lesson." "I didn't need a lesson, I needed a father who loved me!" Liam slammed the papers on the table. "Here! Sign this!"

Emmet grabbed it after a few tries and dragged it over the table. He narrowed his eyes at the print. "What should I sign?" "Those are the papers for you to make me Landon's legal guardian. Sign and we're out of your hair forever." Liam balled his hands and felt his fingertips itch. His claws wanted to come out, his wolf furious at the man in front of him. Years of pent-up rage welled up and dared to spill over. He could kill Emmet and probably nobody would shed a tear. Laughter disrupted his thoughts. Emmet had left the papers on the table and laughed. It boomed in Liam's ears. His blood rushed through his veins. This man was mocking him. "If you really think I'm signing this crap, you're mistaken. Know why? Because you bastard want me to and you get nothing from me!" Emmet was still laughing but decided to underline his words by spitting in Liam's direction. It landed on the carpet between them. His claws almost broke through and he was ready to lunge but a voice in his head stopped him. No. Not like this. Not him. Maybe it was his wolf who was even stronger than Liam's human side burdened with IED but it was enough to make Liam pause. If you kill him, you'll never become Landon's guardian. Keep the little one safe.

Liam exhaled loudly through his nose and closed his eyes for a second. If even the animal inside him knew better, he would follow. Had to follow. All for his little brother. Landon didn't deserve a murderer for a hero. He opened his eyes and stared at Emmet. Suddenly Liam was seven again, cowering at the floor while his father screamed at him and walked closer and closer. He had put his arms up back then, in a feeble attempt to shield his body from the hits, and pleaded for the man to stop. Fear. Panic. Pain. But this time Liam didn't feel panicked. He was not afraid of this drunkard calling himself a father. Instead, Liam felt disgust and maybe even pity. This guy had nothing to live for. It gave the young Alpha a strange sense of calm. Out of the two of them, Liam was the better man. The better person. IED or not. The condition didn't rule him as much as it ruled his father, and Liam had quite a lot more on his plate.

He sat at the opposite of the table and took the pen in his hands. "And why wouldn't you? What's in it for you? Just to be petty? Just to put one over on me?" Emmet snickered. "It will bug you forever, that's good enough for me." He reached for a bottle of booze and uncorked it to take a swig. Liam glared at him. Then he put the pen down. His glance landed on his bracelet. The bracelet he shared with Theo. Suddenly, he got an idea. Maybe it was time to see if he could take a book out of Theo's playbook. He raised his head and crossed his arms on top of the table. "Okay, fine, don't sign. We will play your game. I will send Landon back to live here." Emmet eyed him. "You're bluffing." "Not at all. He will come and live with you again. But be aware. I will be around every damn day." "And then what? What will you do? Punch me? You're no match for me", Emmet sneered. "If you lay so much as one finger on him, and we both know you will, I will call the cops on you. They will come and they will arrest you for domestic violence. And yes, Landon may be sent to foster care but I will make sure you will be sent to prison. There is no booze, no beer, no schnapps in prison. But the people there love people who abused kids. I know people and I will make sure every inmate knows what you did to two little boys. That's what will be awaiting you. No freedom to get wasted like you're doing now every day. Think about it." His biological father still eyed him suspiciously. "No way you would ever let him live here again." "To get you locked up, I would do other things. Landon too, by the way. All to make sure you will rot in hell. He's tough, he will take whatever you might to do him. Maybe I will move in as well. One happy family. With me comes my boyfriend, obviously. By the way, how's your hand?" He looked at Emmet's fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle. Father and son stared at each other, accessed each other until Emmet snorted. "Your mother raised you better than this. I call bluff. You don't have it in you, weak shit!" A cold, dangerous smile appeared on Liam's face and he leaned closer. "You call my mom a slut and other horrible names, yet you forget I also inherited DNA from you. We both have IED. Wanna find out how much more alike we are? If I'm as cruel as you are?" He gave his father a death glare. "You want to start a war? I'll raise you World War III. Your choice. Either don't sign and feel the whiplash or sign and you will never have to see us again." Liam placed the pen on the papers and waited. His heart was thundering inside his chest. That was not his usual way to carry on negotiations and he had no idea if it worked. Theo made it always seem so easy and pulled it off without a hitch. But Liam knew he was not that good. Emmet grabbed the pen and fiddled with it. He scribbled his signature at the marked fields, an unruly chicken scratch but his signature nonetheless. "Get the hell out of here. If I see you on my front lawn again, I will shoot you." Liam's hand shot towards and he pulled the documents towards himself after the last signature was done. "I have better people to be around than you. Give your liver a break once in a while." He got up just in time as Emmet's hand shot towards his throat. The alcoholic missed by far and his hand thumped on the table. "Fuck off, you piss baby!" The sound of the splintering bottle hitting the wall was the last thing Liam heard from his father when he now left the house without so much of a goodbye.

It only dawned on him what just had transpired when he was in his car and already on the road. Liam stopped at a red light and breathed a sigh of relief. "Holy shit!" He had faced Emmet Dunbar, that one man he hated with a burning passion, the one who had made his childhood horrible and hurt Liam, Ilona, and Landon so much. Against what he had wanted to do to him, Emmet had left the meeting completely without a cut, Liam was incredibly proud of himself. Even though now, that everything settled, his hands shook and his heart raced, adrenaline pumping through his body. That had the potential to go so, so wrong and yet Liam stood tall. He glanced at the papers safely sitting on the passenger seat. Not only had it worked out without Liam losing his temper, but it had also really worked and he was Landon's guardian. The threat of Emmet interfering with their lives and taking Landon away again was erased. Liam wanted to cry.

His phone chimed and Liam almost hit another car. "Jesus Christ!" He accepted the call over the speaker. "Hey, Theo." "Hey. Say, just out of curiosity, where the hell are you? Nobody knows where you left. It's not like you to disappear like that. What's going on." Liam bit his lip. "I was at Emmet's." "Emmet? Emmet Dunbar? Your father? What the fuck! Is he still alive?" "Shh, let me explain. I told you about what Angela said and I went to get his signature. Yes, he's still alive, I didn't touch him. Even though I wanted to." He heard Theo closing a door and birds singing in the background. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have accompanied you." Yeah, good question. Liam didn't know for sure. "I guess...I needed to burn this bridge alone? Prove to myself I can stay calm around him. I'm not like him in any capacity and while I know you and I absolutely adore you for always being there for me, this was something I had to do alone. You understand? Maybe for my own peace of mind, I dunno." Theo was silent for a few moments. "Yeah, I understand", he finally confessed. "Did it work, at least?" A smile broke out on Liam's face. "Yep. Have all the signatures I need. Thanks to you as well." "Thanks to me? What did I do?" "Well, let's say you're a good teacher, even if you don't want to be one. I'll tell you everything once I get home, okay?" Theo laughed. "Okay. Love you." "Love you too."

****** Landon's face appeared on the screen in front of Liam and as soon as he had a picture, the child waved animatedly. "Hello, Liam!" Videocalls were a good way to keep in contact even if they could not see each other in person. Liam happily waved back. "Hey, Landon, how are you?" "I'm good. Zack and I built a fort." Landon launched himself into a story of all the things his best friend and he had done. Lana and Byron appeared in the background of the call but they simply waved and let the boy talk. Liam put his chin in the palm of his hand and listened with a smile. Seeing Landon so carefree and hearing about him being a normal child was all he ever wanted. It came nine years too late and Liam knew his brother must have been affected one way or another by his upcoming but now that he was out of Emmet's claws, Landon was in for an amazing life. After he was done, Landon asked about Liam's life in Seattle. Now it was the older's turn to talk about college, his pack, the fairies (Landon loved this part and he asked thousands of questions). Theo had joined Liam for a while and laughed softly. "He's like you", he whispered into his mate's ear and kissed Liam's cheek before he disappeared out of the frame again after a wave in Landon's direction. Liam chuckled but then he finished his story. "One more thing, Landon. You know we took you away from Emmet, right?" Landon shivered at the mention of his father's name but nodded bravely. "Do I have to go back? Please, don't make me go back!" "No, no, hey, I would never. That's why I'm telling you. He signed all the papers. I am your guardian now." Lana and Byron appeared left and right from Landon. "He did? Oh, how wonderful, Liam." Lana was touched. Landon scrunched his nose. "What does guardian mean?" "It means Liam is responsible for you now and Emmet can never hurt you again. Say you want to go on a class trip, for example, the school has to ask Liam and not your father anymore", Byron patiently explained to him. Landon considered. "So, he can't get me?" "Never again. He's out of your life for good", Liam promised firmly. His brother beamed at the adults. "That's amazing!" "Yeah, it is." Lana stroked through his hair. "But, Sweetie, you have to get ready for bed now. Tomorrow's a school day." "But I want to keep talking to Liam. I'm not finished." Yes, Landon could be stubborn. "We can talk tomorrow, Laddie. After school, yeah? Now you have to get ready for bed. Sleep is important. I'm going to bed now too. Theo does too. See?" He rolled to the side and tilted his screen so Landon could see Theo brushing his teeth with the bathroom door open. Theo waved. It wasn't that he actually wanted to go to bed but he had tried some licorice Mike had brought home, not from Ellie though, and after eating it Theo claimed to have a bad taste in his mouth. Landon huffed. "But we talk tomorrow", he insisted. "Werewolf promise." Liam raised his hand solemnly to swear. "Good Night, Laddie." "Good Night, Liam. Good Night, Theo." Landon stood up. "Good Night, you two," Lana called out and then disappeared with Landon.

Byron sat on the desk chair. "I know he signed but did the meaning with your father go well?" "It did. As well as possible with this man. I was pretty surprised at my control. At a certain point, I was ready to snap but somehow my wolf made me pull back and I got more level-headed." "That's the Alpha in you. Even if our personality or our urges say otherwise, sometimes the Alpha part can balance it out to keep the peace. It is impressive how well you learned to work with your wolf." The praise was nice because Liam tried. Sometimes it felt like all he did was running in circles but then he proved to everyone (and mostly himself) he was a good person and improving. "Speaking of Alpha and peace, Liam I forwarded an email to you just now. Have a look at it, maybe Theo should do so as well."

Theo had dried his mouth and now walked over to lean on Liam's chair while Liam opened the mail Byron had forwarded. It included a word document and when Liam opened it, it turned out to be an invitation to a meeting held in a hotel in Seattle. "Liam, part of being an Alpha are pack politics." Liam whined. "I told you I'm not good at that! What is this? An Alpha congress? I can't go there." "Maybe let the man talk before you cut and run", Theo suggested and smoothly avoided the contact between Liam's elbow and his stomach by moving aside. "I know what you said, Liam, and this is no pressure but I wanted to inform you. The invitation is indeed for an Alpha meeting. No congress, just a few Alphas coming together and talking." "About what?" Liam saw himself on a stage, in front of hundreds of Alphas, a whole auditorium filled with them, and making a fool out of himself. People would laugh. It would be a degrading experience. "Life. This and that. No one is expecting a speech from you, Liam. See I've been to a few of those meetings. There are only packs living close by attending these meetings. They're mostly boring. You stand around, do some small talk, maybe eat a quick snack, and leave. But they can also help you get a better idea of which packs are around yours. In the area. It can be interesting, if only so for scouting. But, of course, that does not mean you have to attend. It's no declaration of war not to go there. Just like you cannot declare war by saying a wrong word if you go." "Those are all Alphas, experienced Alphas probably, and then I show up. Junior McJunington. What will they think?" "Screw what they think. So what if they're older or more experienced? You're you and that's awesome" Theo passionately declared. "Thank you, Dr. Seuss", Liam hissed. He frowned and scratched his cheek. "I have to think about this." "As it is your right. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with." "If I should attend, there will be no problem? I can just show up there?" "The invitation is addressed to the Alpha of the Morning Dew Pack. They seemingly didn't get the memo about the change in our pack but that doesn't matter. The invitation is for you, not for me. Actually, no Beta can attend the meeting. And no Alpha mate either unless they're specifically invited." "I have to go there alone??" Liam shrieked. In his mind, he had Theo by his side. Maybe Brett and Caden since both could be real charmers and have intellectual conversations. Corey would have also a good match despite him being as insecure as Liam in those settings. Byron rubbed his hands together. "Those are the rules. But I know, alone or not, you will be just fine. Should you go or not. This is not something I can do for you. The decision is all yours. Just one more thing, to be fair. you will be the youngest in this group. By a few decades, I suppose. That's why I don't think they will pay you much attention. They're just curious." "Great", Liam said sarcastically. "Given my track records with strange Alphas so far, this will be a marvelous experience."

****** "I don't think you should go. What if that's a trap?" Tim worried about Liam's safety. Liam had informed his pack about the invitation right the next day and after classes, they were sitting in the living room and discussing this. "I think he should go. Just to check the others out. Maybe he can make allies?" Brett opposed. "I also think Liam should go. Byron said he has been to a few of those meetings. I don't think it's a trap", Sadie tried to dissolve Tim's worry and he gave her a grateful look. "The two strange Alphas I met in the last year have both tried to kill me. You understand I'm not keen on walking in a room full of unfamiliar Alphas?" Liam questioned. "I think that should be the reason you go", Ever stated, "to show all of them you're not afraid. If they plan on messing with you, you will look them in the eye. Maybe then they won't underestimate you." "I just don't see the purpose of those meetings. From what Byron said it sounds pretentious." Corey looked peeved. "Oh, it is", Lori confirmed. "But they are not that rare. I don't think you have to be scared, Liam." She offered a genuine smile. Liem returned it cause he knew she was trying to make him feel better. "What do you mean by not rare?" "Well, they're not, if you have Alphas of the old school" Brett took over from his sister. "Modern Alphas just meet up, talk, like Scott with Satomi. They don't even call it an Alpha meeting and send out fancy invites. Those are practices of the old guard, mostly well-esteemed werewolves who love to use those meetings to gossip. Ever seen those movies with scenes in Gentlemen Clubs? Country Clubs? Those are the people to expect at those meetings. Byron's not that far off when he says they won't spare you a look. You're - and don't take this the wrong way - not their type of person, if you know what I mean." "The Alpha from my parents' pack also attends such meetings. They always gush about the delicious and expensive things they eat there. But this woman also has a rich husband and considers herself playing tennis and golf as labor. So, pretty much pompous, entitled snobs", Sadie said. Maya rolled her eyes. "I also know about those meetings but I'm so glad I never met an Alpha going there before. Eh, no offense, Liam." Liam groaned. "Okay, just the danger of becoming the new hot gossip for the elite wolves around. Yeah, I think I'll pass." "I would still go", Caden chimed in. "It's a good opportunity to get to know how many are around. Do you know that? They invited Byron so their radius must be quite large but how many packs live between Seattle and the lake? Wouldn't it be good to know in case we need help? What if the hyenas come back? Having some werewolf allies would not be that bad."

He had a point. They all did. Liam was still torn. For once because he was afraid of making a fool of himself, then for the reason not to offend another Alpha and start a war, and on top of it, he now came to the realization just how different those Alphas seemed to be. He looked at his boyfriend. "What do you say?" Theo had listened to everything and had made up his mind. "You should go. For all those reasons. Byron said there will not come anything bad from it. He would never let you go to any event if he feared something might happen to you. If he says you can go, I believe him. And yeah, it is a good way to get information. Maybe there are not that many packs around.  But you will only find out if you go." Since most of his Betas said he should go, he considered. Maybe it was a good idea indeed. Only one problem: "If it's that high class, what should I wear?"

Fifteen minutes later Liam regretted that question. He stood in his bedroom while Theo, Brett, Mason, and Sadie sat on his bed. Sadie throned between the other guys, one leg crossed over the other, and looked like she was having the time of her life. Liam was the poor victim and had to model several outfits for the self-proclaimed fashion experts of his pack (he knew Theo could dress good but at this point, Liam felt betrayed) who all had other ideas of the perfect outfit. "That dress shirt is perfect for you. Not too out there but also not too normal" Mason praised Liam's current outfit consisting of black pants and a dark grey dress shirt. Liam hated it. It was not even one of his shirts but one of Theo's Mason had just grabbed. His boyfriend had not protested (see, there was the betrayal) but now shook his head. "That's not the outfit to go." "Absolutely right. Liam, grab the one I hung there." Sadie pointed at the clothes and Liam grumbled but grabbed them and stalked into the bathroom. When he emerged again, he was wearing jeans, a blue slipover with a white button-down shirt underneath. Liam felt like he was a kindergartener dressed by mommy. "Now you look like back in Devenford. Then again, maybe this private school flair is exactly what you need", Brett snickered. Liam glared at him and Theo scoffed before he handed Liam the third outfit. Liam glared at him too for good measure and disappeared into the bathroom again.

The outfit Theo had picked for him, Liam didn't even know where he got it. He had never seen Theo wearing this particular combo. Cloth trousers, a polo shirt and a sports jacket over it. "How the hell do you get this? And why do you get this?" He asked once he emerged from the bathroom.   Interesting, Theo became a bit sheepishly. "I got it for some occasions? Maybe a job interview?" "This is so not you." Liam eyed himself in the mirror. "This is so not me either. What were you thinking, guys? None of your outfits were good." "You wanted us to help you", Mason defended himself. "I wanted to get suggestions, not become your dress-up doll", Liam replied sharply. Sadie sighed. "You're being difficult. Don't you want to make a good first impression?" "A good impression as himself, shouldn't that be the goal?" Caden had walked into the room and crossed the arms in front of his chest. He looked at Liam. "You look strange. Actually, you look like me whenever my aunt visited the family. Horrible." "How do you look when your aunt visits?" Brett had to know. Caden pulled out his cellphone and searched a bit before he handed the phone over. Brett snickered. "Okay, thanks for the laugh. So dapper, oh my. One would not think that since you're almost only ever wearing more casual clothing." Sadie giggled. "Does Ever know you can look like that?" "As a matter of fact, yeah. She doesn't like it. I can relate. But my aunt is quite old-fashioned and conservative. She came to town, we dressed like that, covered up our tattoos, the whole shebang. We just never liked it. Liam doesn't like dressing up either." "Tell me about it. That's a topic we have had since we're friends." Mason rolled his eyes. Liam wanted to glare at him but if he was honest, his best friend was right.   So he raised his shoulders. "I have dress shirts. I just happen to like t-shirts and jeans more." "Hence why I think you should wear that", Caden stated. "You are not like the type of Alpha who wears expensive clothing and the latest brands. You're Liam. We like Liam. Why do you want to be somebody you're not? Just to impress people you probably will never see again after that one time?" "That's true." Even Theo had to admit that. "I know when you're comfortable and you never are when you dressed up to a certain extend." "I still think if the occasion calls for it, you should make an effort", Sadie insisted. "It's not about what you want; it's about what our Alpha wants. Liam goes to the meeting and Liam has to represent himself and our pack. He should do it as his truest self possible", Brett retaliated. She pouted.

But then she got up from the bed and walked towards Liam's open closet. She dug around there for a while before she pulled out a pale blue t-shirt. It was a new one, Liam had only worn it twice and he loved how soft the fabric was, it felt good and comfy on his skin. Sadie handed it to him. "The color makes your eyes pop. That and that one light blue jeans you have. If you walk into a room full of strange werewolves, bright colors make you look friendlier." "That's Sadie. If you can't dress them up the way you want, at least get into chromatics", Brett praised.

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Quite a Liam-centric chapter but then again he's the Alpha and Landon's brother. And he had to make decisions. Now the question is, what will happen at the meeting? What do you guys think? All I can say is, I'm excited about the new chapter.