#after we collided icons

[gryfficons]

[inspirationfandream]

multicrossover AU :

Hardin Scott & Ginny Miller

Justin Foley & Jules Vaughn

Marcus Lopez & Sabrina Spellman

Guzman Nunier & Carla Roson AU

Vamp!Jungkook & Eleonor (Elle Fanning)

Bloom & Maria AU

[iconsfinder]

[isak-dot-gov]

Bubblegum Pink

Pairing: Rhea Ripley x Girly girl!Reader

Word count: 1137

My Matherlist :)

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

You and Rhea had always been an odd pairing, but one that worked. Her brooding, gothic style was the complete opposite of your sunny, feminine aesthetic, but it never caused any problems between the two of you. In fact, you both liked the contrast. She loved how unapologetically girly you were, while you found her dark and edgy vibe pretty hot. 

But now, with the release of the new Barbie movie, your worlds were about to collide in a way you hadn’t anticipated.

It all started when you saw the trailer. You’d grown up with Barbie, and seeing your childhood icon brought to life on the big screen filled you with pure joy. Naturally, you couldn’t wait to see it. Even more so, you couldn’t wait to share the experience with Rhea.

One night over dinner, as you twirled your fork through your salad, you casually brought it up. “So, the Barbie movie comes out this weekend. Want to come with me?”

Rhea, who had been chewing on a piece of steak, glanced up at you with raised eyebrows. “Barbie?” she repeated, her tone filled with playful disbelief.

You nodded eagerly, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yeah! It’s going to be so much fun. I was thinking we could, like, dress up a little for it? You know, something pink and Barbie-like. What do you think?”

Rhea leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms with a smirk. “Pink and Barbie-like, huh?” Her dark lipstick accentuated her teasing smile. “Babe, I don’t really do… pink. Or Barbie.”

You felt a pang of disappointment in your chest, but you didn’t let it show. You knew Rhea was right—dressing up in something so opposite of her usual style was a big ask. “I know, I know,” you laughed, trying to brush it off. “It’s okay, I was just being silly. You don’t have to. We can just go as ourselves.”

But deep down, you’d been hoping she might at least entertain the idea. Not because you wanted her to change, but because it would’ve been fun to share this experience together, dressing up and embracing the moment.

The rest of the week passed without much mention of the movie. You noticed Rhea hadn’t brought it up again, and you didn’t want to press her about it either. You told yourself it didn’t matter—after all, what was important was that she was coming with you, not what she wore. Still, a tiny part of you couldn’t shake the wish that she might try, just a little, to embrace your world the way you always embraced hers.

The day of the movie finally arrived, and you woke up early, excited to get ready. You’d been planning your outfit for days—a dreamy, pink flowy dress with cute accessories, glittery heels, and even a sparkly headband to tie it all together. As you looked at yourself in the mirror, you smiled at your reflection, feeling like you’d just stepped out of a Barbie dreamhouse.

But when you turned around to check your phone, your stomach twisted a little. Rhea hadn’t said anything yet, and you weren’t sure if she was going to dress up at all. Maybe you had been silly to even hope she would.

You tried not to let it get to you as you waited for her in the living room, adjusting your purse strap and fidgeting with your phone. When you finally heard her footsteps, you stood up, ready to go, but bracing yourself for her usual all-black attire.

As expected, Rhea came in wearing her typical style—black jeans, a black band tee, and combat boots. Her dark eyeliner and signature smirk were firmly in place. But something caught your eye, and you blinked, not sure if you were seeing things.

Pink socks.

They were subtle, barely peeking out from the tops of her boots, but they were there. Bright, unmistakable, bubblegum pink socks. You stared for a second, processing the sight, and then your heart swelled.

Rhea shifted on her feet, her smirk faltering just a little as she noticed your reaction. “Don’t say anything,” she grumbled, glancing away with a slight blush rising in her cheeks. “It’s just socks.”

You were speechless for a moment, but then a wide, beaming smile spread across your face. “Rhea…” you whispered, your voice soft with affection. “You didn’t have to do that.”

She shrugged, still trying to play it off. “I know, but I figured, you know, it’s important to you. And they’re just socks. Not like I’m wearing a pink dress or anything.”

Your chest tightened with emotion. It wasn’t about the socks—it was about the gesture. Rhea had seen how much this movie and dressing up meant to you, and while she didn’t go all out, she’d made an effort. She’d stepped out of her comfort zone for you, even if in a small way, and that meant everything.

You rushed forward and threw your arms around her, squeezing her tight. “Thank you,” you murmured against her chest, your eyes stinging with happy tears. “This means more than you know.”

Rhea wrapped her arms around you, chuckling softly as she pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “You’re lucky I love you,” she teased, though her voice was warm and tender.

You pulled back slightly, looking up at her with a playful grin. “I know I am.” You glanced down at her boots again, eyeing the pink socks with a twinkle in your eye. “And for the record, pink looks good on you.”

Rhea rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in her expression. “Don’t get used to it, alright?”

“Too late,” you teased back, leaning up to press a kiss to her cheek.

With her arm around your waist, the two of you headed out the door. As you walked hand in hand to the car, you couldn’t help but feel like this day was going to be even more special than you’d imagined. Rhea might not be covered head-to-toe in pink, but she’d met you halfway. She’d made the effort, and that was more than enough to make your heart burst with love.

As you drove to the theatre, Rhea glanced over at you, taking in how happy and radiant you looked. “Alright, so what’s this movie actually about? Are we gonna sit through two hours of Barbie just being… Barbie?”

You giggled. “Oh, you’ll see. There’s a lot more to Barbie than you think.”

Rhea smirked, giving your hand a squeeze as she rested her arm over the console. “As long as I get to see you happy, I’ll sit through whatever you want, babe.”

And just like that, with her pink socks slightly hidden under her boots, you knew you had the best girlfriend in the world by your side.

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

[leclercwriting]

first win | oscar piastri social media au

pairing: oscar piastri x fem!reader

you're oscar's lucky charm he needed

masterlist

y/n.user

liked by oscarpiastri, landonorris and 123,389 others

caption: back with my baby before he goes to hungary

view all comments

oscarpiastri: I'm gonna miss u :(

y/n.user: poor boy

oscarpiastri: come with mee to the mclaren garage in hungaroring

landonorris: yeeessss I need you to make the chocolate cookies again

y/n.user: we'll see

user39: OMG Y/N'S FIRST RACE?!

user848: can we talk about how good they look together? y/n is so stunning

user94: can oscar fight?

oscarpiastri: I indeed can

landonorris: he can't fight. He almost broke his hand when he tried to fight a guy who talked to y/n for "too long"

y/n.user: that's true

user38: lol

danielricciardo: come to vcarb garage. there's one hot australian too

maxverstappen1: daniel you have a girlfriend..

danielricciardo: stop it or im gonna say the secret u told me to kelly

y/n.user: @ danielricciardo I NEED to know the secret

danielricciardo: I'm calling you

sabrinacarpenter: y/n you're so hot babe

y/n.user: thanks luv <3

user838: y/n is friends WITH SABRINA

user94: my two worlds colliding together

oscarpiastri

liked by landonorris, maxverstappen1 and 456,949 others

caption: fp1 and fp2 done, and now we need to get really for tomorrow's quali

view all comments

landonorris: tomorrow mclaren 1-2?

oscarpiastri: hell yeah

user84: where was y/n?

landonorris: clearly not there

user949: LOL

user23: she's not even in the comments or the likes. I think they broke up. She is clearly not enough for oscar. She didn't go to any race

y/n.user: stop acting like u know me or my and oscar's relationship. I'm pretty busy with work and school, but you clearly don't know that those things exist

user32: SHE WAS SILENTED

oscarpiastri: that's my girl

f1gossip: I love how oscar is protective of y/n and y/n is protective over their relationship

oscarpiastri

liked by y/n.user, landonorris and 876,737 others

caption: my lucky charm.. that's all I have to say

view all comments

y/n.user: I'm so proud of you osc🥹

oscarpiastri: I did it because of you

landonorris: lovebirds

charles_leclerc: don't be jealous lando

charles_leclerc: Congrats, my child. U deserve it

user83: LOL he really did adopt oscar

y/n.user: yeah

landonorris: MCLAREN 1-2 BABYYYY

landonorris: congrats osc

oscarpiastri: thank you lando

user858: that's so them coded

lewishamilton: congratulations. You are going to be a world champion one day

carlossainz55: congrats for your first win

pierregasly: congratulations oscar!

user84: all the drivers in the comments make me emotional

danielricciardo: congratulations fellow ausie

oscarpiastri: thanks danny

user84: not oscar replying to danny but not to lewis or carlos

user90: he got priorities

mclaren: U DID IT OSCAR

oscarpiastri: we did it

user94: don't make me emotional again

y/n.user: u get me

y/n.user

liked by oscarpiastri, landonorris and 456,939 others

caption: enjoying budapest after emotional weekend. also, I saw the replay of me crying, and i look kinda good. you'll see me more from now on

view all comments

oscarpiastri: I can't wait to take you to spa

y/n.user: I'm gonna root for fernando and carlos

oscarpiastri: traitor

user84: NOT CARLOS LOL. oscar's biggest enemy

user85: y/n being alonso fan makes so much sense to me

landonorris: lovebirds at it again

y/n.user: @ oscarpiastri we need to find lando a girlfriend cuz someone's jealous

oscarpiastri: noted

user94: not them setting lando up

user34: I love them they're so iconic

f1fanpage: oscar and y/n being the IT couple again. I'm here for it

danielricciardo: when are you going to vcarb garage?

user33: daniel is simping on oscar's girlfriend again

danielricciardo: naah, I just need some lucky charm to win

y/n.user: @ heidiberger_

heidiberger_: I'm gonna be there

user84: I love how loyal y/n is, and she doesn't like it when other men who have a girlfriend give her attention

user36: she's simply iconic

user38: that's called y/n behaviour, and everyone should behave like that

note: soo I decided to make this post after oscar's win. I was actually at the gp and I saw oscar win his first race with my own eyes lol. Enjoy

[f1version]

LOST COWBOY HAT ★ DR3

pairing: daniel ricciardo x celebrity!reader (she/her)

summary: You find a cowboy hat while you’re at a photoshoot, then the F1 fandom goes crazy on you because it’s supposedly Daniel Ricciardo’s lost hat.

note: it’s race week for the australian gp, so technically it’s danny ric’s week. have this as my holy offering for the dr3 agenda xx

danielricciardo • Melbourne, Australia

Liked by redbullracing, landonorris and 983,303 others

danielricciardo Someone stole my hat, here’s me smiling through the pain, and our last memory together.

view all comments

redbullracing SOS mission find danny’s hat activated

maxverstappen1 translation: he left it at the studio during a photoshoot, and when he came back the next day it wasn’t there

danielricciardo you can just say i lost it. i hate you.

landonorris can i laugh?

danielricciardo NO

yourusername • Melbourne, Australia

Liked by redbullracing, vanityfair and 992,137 others

yourusername just found a hat, feeling good xx

view all comments

redbullracing that’s a good cowboy hat you have there

yourusername hi redbull racing, now that you are here can i get a paddock pass for next weekend?

redbullracing boss (daniel) says yes

theynwardrobe i can already FEEL people asking where are the boots from

vanityfair icon

yourusername ❤️❤️

dr3things wait a damn minute

yourusername • Melbourne, Australia

Liked by danielricciardo, maxverstappen1 and 1,102,003 others

yourusername danielricciardo i am told i have your hat. hope you know how to fight

view all comments

danielricciardo we can fight. maybe at a restaurant, next week, after the race, 7pm. sounds good?

yourusername oh? maybe we could do that, or who knows if there is something available tomorrow? if not, see you on paddock mr ricciardo

redbullracing two worlds collide

yourusername hi redbull can u tell daniel i think he is cool?

redbullracing i do as mother says🫡

char16lec danny ric did not just hit on a philanthropist super model because he left his hat at a photoshoot and she took it

maxdan11 he really did, what a legend

yourusername’s insta story

danielricciardo’s insta story

yourusername’s insta story

yourusername

Liked by danielricciardo, landonorris and 1,862,753 others

yourusername i think he has a crush on me or something…

view all comments

danielricciardo a crush is just the beginning of it

yourusername it’ll be fun to find out all of that

landonorris this man has dedication fr, boy has been crushing on u since 2019

danielricciardo LANDO NO THEY CANT KNOW

yourusername danielricciardo “i’ve liked you for a very long time now, y/n, it’s ridiculous” this u?

danielricciardo all dates. cancelled.

redbullracing welcome to the family!

danielricciardo

Liked by yourusername, redbullracing and 1,862,753 others

danielricciardo it looks better on her, doesn’t it?

view all comments

yourusername you’re cute or whatever

danielricciardo no u

redbullracing we’re pro matchmakers fr

maxverstappen1 ok but what about me

danielricciardo i’ll always love you babe

yourusername disappointed but not surprised

[wwestrang-fan]

Behind the scenes

Roman Reigns x oc reader

warning : a bit of age gap, some hints angst, reader feeling insecure, (sorry it’s a little angst)

Summary: After his divorce, Roman is determined to focus solely on being himself, dedicating his time to his kids and career. However, everything changes when he unexpectedly bumps into someone special.

Roman walked through the bustling halls of WWE headquarters, a spring in his step as he made his way to Hunter's office. The walls were adorned with iconic photos of wrestling legends, and the energy was electric. Just as he rounded a corner, he collided with someone.

“Whoa, sorry about that!” he exclaimed as he looked, surprised to see a woman standing at his eye level. She had an unmistakable presence, her skin glowing under the bright lights, and her long, ponytail swayed with every movement.

“It’s alright!” she replied, her voice warm but hurried. With a quick, apologetic smile, she sidestepped past him and continued on her way fixing her glasses.

Roman watched her walk away until she disappeared around the corner, a curious smile lingering on his lips. After a moment, he turned and headed into Hunter's office, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the hallway.

“Hey, who was that?” he asked as he settled into a chair.

"Who Hunter glanced up from his paperwork

"That Native America woman I saw her on the way here Roman said.

“Oh, that’s the new fashion designer we hired. She’s got some great ideas coming up.”

Roman raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Fashion designer, huh?

As Roman stepped out of Hunter's office, he spotted his cousins Jey and Jimmy chatting near the bustling entrance of the WWE headquarters. They were both all smiles, their energy infectious.

“Hey, look who decided to grace us with his presence!” Jimmy called out, his playful tone echoing through the hallway.

“Yeah, just wrapped up a meeting. What’s good with you guys?” Roman replied, moving closer.

“Just planning our next moves,” Jey said, crossing his arms. “You know how it is.”

“Speaking of moves,” Roman said, glancing at Jimmy, “where’s your wife? I haven’t seen her around today.”

“Oh, she’s with the new fashion designer,” Jimmy answered. “Getting some ideas for a new look or something.”

As they talked, Roman turned slightly to look down the corridor, just as the fashion designer emerged from a nearby office. They crossed paths once again, and Roman’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Whoa, hey!” he exclaimed, barely managing to sidestep to avoid bumping into her again.

“Sorry! You again!” she said with a laugh, her long curly ponytail bouncing as she stepped back.

Naomi approached the group, her presence radiating warmth. She raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “So, you two have already met, huh?”

Roman glanced at the designer, then back at Naomi. “Yeah, just a little bump-in.”

“And a memorable one at that!” the designer chimed in, her smile brightening the moment.

Jey raised an eyebrow at Roman. “Don’t you have to get measured again for that outfit?”

Roman nodded, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. “Yeah, I do. I guess I should get that done.”

“Oh, you do! I can do that for you right now,” the fashion designer chimed in, her enthusiasm apparent. “No need to wait!”

“Really? That would be awesome!” Roman replied, his excitement returning as he glanced back and forth between the designer and his cousins.

“See? Offered by the expert right here,” Jey said, turning to Roman with a grin.

“Oh, I aim to please!” he responded.

With that, the designer led Roman to a nearby fitting room, Jey, and Jimmy shared knowing looks and laughed.

In the bright, airy room lined with fabric swatches and mood boards, Roman stood before a large mirror with a tape measure draped around his shoulders. The fashion designer, involved in their fitting, adjusted the measure with a practiced eye.

“Alright, Mr. Reigns, let’s see what we’re working with,” she said, her voice smooth and confident, a hint of excitement in her tone.

“Just Roman is fine,” he responded, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s easier.”

“Okay, just Roman it is,” she replied with a smile, her albino skin glowing under the studio lights.

“So, what’s your name?” Roman asked.

“I’m Pudding. Nice to meet you!” she chirped.

“Pudding? That’s an interesting name,” Roman said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, my mom is a baker,” Pudding explained with a grin.

“Oh, that makes sense” Roman laughed, the earlier tension dissipating. “Must be hard to live up to a delicious name like that.”

Pudding giggled. “You have no idea.

Roman smiled, appreciating her demeanor. “So, what are you envisioning for me?

“I'm going to stick with your regular style,” Pudding replied, stepping back to analyze him. “I'm going to tighten up around but doesn’t box you in. You’ll be comfortable enough to move.

“I like the sound of that,” he murmured. “Can’t wait to see what you come up with.”

With a nod, Pudding returned to her measurements, her creativity igniting. In that spacious, sunlight-drenched room filled with fabric swatches and fervor, the collaboration felt destined to flourish.

As Pudding finished adjusting the final measurement, she stepped back with satisfaction. “Alright, all done.”

Roman straightened up, loosening the tension from his shoulders. “Thanks! So, when can I expect the clothes to be finished?”

Pudding glanced at her notes, jotting down a few final details. “I’m aiming for about a weeks. I want to make sure everything fits perfectly and looks amazing.”

“That’s not too long” Roman replied, a hint of excitement evident in his tone. “Will I get a chance to see any sketches before then?”

“Sure I’ll send you some drafts once I get the initial designs laid out. It’s important to me that you’re involved in the process,” she said.

Roman leaned against the table, a bit more serious. “That nice.

“Don’t forget to check your messages! Hunter will send updates as I go along,” Pudding called after him.

“I won’t!” Roman replied, stepping out of the room and into the hallway, his mind racing with thoughts of the upcoming designs.

As he walked, is mind was thinking about pudding as he made his way to the exit.

[sketchnskribbles]

December Prompt: Tangled up in Christmas Lights

((The bg is not mine. I found it on google))

With carefully controlled huffs of air, one quiet figure ran on the many rooftops that made up the dark and dreary streets of his fair city.

With a sharp inhale, he braced himself for another leap from one roof to the next. Tucking into a well practice roll and springing back up to continue. The HUD within his icon red mask faithfully directed him to where Oracle had said two of his fellow Knights were staking out a potential lead.

They’d been working on the same case for nearing about two months now. It had been enough of a brain scratcher that the Batman, himself, had even asked for Hood to utilize his own underworld contacts in the hopes of singling out the new terror that threatened their streets.

Jason had made no attempt to restrain his enthusiasm in dangling Bruce’s reluctant request over his head. “Oh… so you need my help? The Big Bad Bat crawling to lil ol’ me?”

The old man certainly regretted it, Jason was sure. He’d toned it down after a couple of weeks. To the relief of the family. It wasn’t exactly something that stayed amusing for long. He could admit that much.

Despite the grief he’d given. Red Hood’s contacts proven to be the correct route and he had become privy to a meeting between some of their current suspects. It had been originally planned to be two Tuesdays out.

Until Oracle had just reached out to him ten minutes ago that the meeting time frame had been, for whatever reason, accelerated and the meeting had been pushed for that very night.

Hood had been urged to meet up with Nightwing and Robin just outside the location radius.

It was as much a relief to be able to shuffle to a stop, as much as it was a let down. Nothing like a good bout of parkour to really get the blood pumping.

He took in deep deliberate breaths as he looked around in search of the familiar colors of blue, red, and yellow.

The vigilante crime lord tilted his head and placed his hands on his hips when there were no brothers in sight. “Huh…”

To the side, an abandoned glass bottle skidded across a darkened corner and over the side of the roof. It brought the hairs on the back of his head stand on end and he carefully shifted into a fighting position. Briefly, he considered bringing out one of his guns, before dismissing the thought. He was currently outside of Crime Alley on a job for the Bats. It’d be best to at least try to play along by there rules.

For now.

A scuffle came from behind and Hood ducked. Rolling backwards and successfully tripping his would-be attacker.

With an “Oof!” A certain small angry bird collided with the Red Hood and stumbled back up to his feet. The scowl that was shot at him made Jason laugh out loud. His gaze inevitably went from his baby brother’s face and down to what Robin was holding.

A jolt of confusion ran through the crime lord to see the unplugged cord of Christmas lights clutched tightly in the kid’s hand. “Wha—”

One of Jason’s arms, that he had raised with the plan to scratch the back of his neck, was ensnared by what had to be the other end of the cord. There had been still plenty more slack to be used and Jason had been far too shocked to make any defense when Nightwing had ran past his field of sight with a particularly heinous cackle. Forcing Jason’s arm against his chest.

Damian came back into action and both the oldest and youngest Robins made quick work of wrapping up the second Robin in a very seasonal trap.

“Tsk, and here I thought you would actually present a challenge.” The little ankle biter dared to scoff out.

Jason tested his restraints with a sharp jolt. His limbs were too tightly wrapped to give him enough room to try to break free. The hand partially hidden away from his laughing brothers already held a small knife that began to cut into the cords.

“Oh-ho, man, Little Wing!” Dick ran a hand through his messy hair. “You really make for a great Christmas tree. If only we had a proper outlet to light you up!”

“Indeed. Quite a pity.” Damian shook his head. He stood proudly next to his oldest brother with a satisfied expression.

“You tricked me!” Jason snarled. Making a show of trying to break free. Not wanting them to notice his slow progress just yet, if at all. He could feel his blood pressure rising at the laughter unashamedly bursting from his earpiece. Barbara was certainly having the time of her life for being someone that was now on his shit-list.

“Perhaps you should have listened better to your lessons within the league.” The little demon mused. Pretending to check his nails through his stupid little green gloves.

Nightwing was already pulling out a folded piece of paper that really made Hood groan. With a clearing of his throat the eldest brother began, “Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?”

The night was startlingly quiet for a city that was notorious for its streets to be bursting with gunshots and screams. It was typically slower during this line of year. It was at this point considered to be bad luck to commit crimes or even make a pit stop at a store during the holidays. As that was usually when the crazies normally liked to come out.

Jason was pretty sure the crazies included the hero vigilantes as well, considering the literal torture he was now going to be subjected to.

“Well?” Dick asked with a pout. “Aren’t you gonna ask who?”

Damian brought out an intricately designed dagger with narrowed eyes. Perfectly standing where Dick couldn’t see him. Jason rolled his eyes.

“Who?” The crime lord grunted out. He had to stay calm. It wouldn’t due to lose his advantage when he’d nearly found the weak point in his bindings.

“A mince spy!” Nightwing declared with a rather blinding smile. “What’s every elf’s favorite type of music?”

“What?” Jason sighed.

“Wrap!”

Jason waited for three more “jokes” to pass when the most opportune time arose.

The screech of a cat and the clangs of fallen cans drew his brothers’ attention away and he cut the last thread he needed for his wrappings to fall off him.

With a slow roll of his neck and shoulders, he met the shocked expressions of his fellow vigilantes and leered over them threateningly. Uttering only a single word, “run.”

[rebelliousstories]

Fangirl

Relationship: Remy LeBeau/Gambit x Reader

Fandom: X-Men

Request: Yes by Anon

Warnings: Fluff

Word Count: 908

Main Masterlist: Here

X-Men Masterlist: Here

Summary: What do you do when you come across your childhood hero when you’re supposed to be saving the world? No, really, we need to know cause they don’t.

Consider Donating: Here

Being placed in the Void was not fun. The crime; being best friends with one Wade Winston Wilson. And now this was the culmination of their entire relationship. Stuck in a Wasteland, struggling to find a way out. They had been dealing with her friend and the new member, The Wolverine, fighting constantly in one form or another. It was frankly starting to get on their nerves. But watching them fight it out in a Honda Odyssey was quite entertaining, just not when they ended up passing out against a tree because the two mutants were not stopping for anything.

And now, they had woken up in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar people. Groaning, they began rubbing the stiffness out of their neck as they rolled over to place their feet on the ground. They say Logan nursing a bottle of alcohol, and Wade also waking up and getting out of bed. Deciding to stay there for a moment more, they were quite shock when things started happening around them.

Deadpool went over to the entrance, and collided with someone else’s weapons. A woman in a deep red suit stepped out from behind the corner. Following close by, a man in an all black suit who grabbed a large knife as soon as he walked in. Lastly, a playing card flew in, right as a familiar man in a leather trench coat caught it. It was him; Gambit.

All other noises and conversation was muffled by the sound of blood rushing through their ears. All they could focus on was that iconic suit. It was not until Deadpool nudged them that their focus was brought back into the present.

“Are you good there, angel cakes? Were you lost in your thoughts because the author didn’t feel like writing the dialogue for this scene?” Their brows furrowed as they looked at him, but he continued as if nothing had happened.

“Never mind, back to the important things.” As their eyes scanned over the group, they would instinctively land on Remy whenever possible. Occasionally, Gambit’s eyes would meet theirs, causing them to blush and drop their gaze. It started happening often enough that they wondered if the mutant was doing it on purpose.

After a while, everyone had found themselves strewn about the temple. They sat near Wade who was trying to befriend Blade, but was failing miserably. It seemed now, especially, their eyes refused to leave the Cajun that was drinking with Elektra in the corner. Weirdly enough, it seemed his eyes sought them out as well.

“Whatcha doing there, my little gender ambiguous chicken nugget?” Wade asked, spooking them. They jumped, but recovered quickly.

“Nothing. Why do you have to call me.” They swatted his hand away as it got closer to ruffling the hair on their head.

“So what’s your deal? Old gibberish mouth with the come over got your eye? ‘Just something about him telling you can’t quite put your finger on’, am I right? He is widely attractive though.” Their look was ridiculous as they looked at their friend in a red mask.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” They deflected.

“Oh I think you do. But I’ll let him get it out of you.” Without another word, Wade left them alone. While their head was turned, someone filled the spot on their other side. Turning back, it was just the wrong person they wanted to see; Remy.

“Ya doin’ alrigh’ pistache?” He asked, relaxing into the seat. It was a stark contrast to how they were sitting rigidly.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothin’. Jus’ noticed ya a lil’ jumpy is all.” Gambit held a small smirk on his face. He knocked both of their shoulders together and watched their face closely.

“Oh no, that’s just. Um… really, it’s nothing to worry about.” They cursed as they felt heat rise to their cheeks. The smirk on Remy’s face became larger at this.

“Woo, ya got a crush on me or somethin’? Gambit’s not gonna blame you if you did. Gonna make tomorrow a little easier on my heart knowing I got such a cute pistasche in my corner.” Now that blush deepened. Before they could fire off another denial, a yawn ripped through them. Stretching, they began looking over the area for a place for them to rest for the evening.

“Come wit’ me.” Gambit muttered, waving them with him.

As they followed him through the room, they took note on how cozy this temple was for being a refuge in the Void. When they stopped, a bed had appeared in front of them. A couple personal items were on the table next to it; Remy could not be seriously considering letting them use his bed? However he allowed no time for protest.

“If ya need more blankets, give a holla. Good night pistasche. Tomorrow, I’ll show you just how cool dem card tricks can get.” With that, Gambit winked and left them standing there.

They were not entirely sure what had happened in just the short amount of time that they had encountered the Gambit in the Void. He was just like they expected him to be. Except, they thought they would be smoother in their comebacks and actions. At any rate, they settled themself into bed, dreaming. Dreaming of seeing him in action tomorrow. And somehow dreaming of him teasing them some more, but this time, they would have their comebacks.

[lanschpaket]

Arcane S02 color analysis (Caitlyn and Vi)

I started talking about this in my tags in one of my posts, so here's the real thing:

Caitlyn's and Vi's reunion and executing a plan together can also be seen with the colors onscreen Let me start a few episodes before that: Like, we know Cait and her commander cloak, which has a red inner fabric and it mostly stands out with her collar, framing her face in red too. She got that cloak from Ambessa and as we know the color she is dominantely associated with is the color red. So imo I see this as Ambessa's heavy influence on Cait.

Now in S02E06 Caitlyn and Vi collide and it didn't take much to get Cait away from whatever shit Ambessa was planning to do. In the scene these two meet again after a couple of episodes, Cait is not wearing her cloak. The only red thing is her choker (Will write a detailled analysis about Caitlyn too, so more on that there). Also Vi, not red/pink at all. Mostly dark, whith just a couple of tiny red highlights in her outfit now. Which is a big difference from her known iconic apprearance.

But both of them are in stark contrast to Ambessa, who appears in mostly red (and gold). Which is very strong around the camp. I also like to think that Caitlyn never meant to be there and that Ambessa really is forcing her ideals and goals onto her, cause the red and Caitlyn's blue kinda clash and don't go well together.

But aside from contrasting, I personally think, the absence of a heavy red presence in both Cait and Vi's appreance can be seen as being opposed to Ambessa and her plans. Piltover's Finest now being their own party with their own aims and morals. Back on track what feels right to them and not executing someone elses ideals. Caitlyn finally getting away from Ambessa's grasps and going back to the one thing that worked out for her. Teaming up with Vi Color and Character Analysis Caitlyn

[ladcedes]

c’est la vie

charles leclerc x vlogger!reader ; insta/socmed au

summary some fans start picking up clues on charles leclerc's relationship with a popular vlogger after a big move

note this is my first f1 fic on here and im kinda nervous tbh… i made this sick and needing to kill time so make of that what you will.

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, yourbestie, and 230.439 others

yourusername goodbye to the tons of memories made here 🥲 gonna miss this apartment sm... but chapters are meant to be opened and closed, so cheers to the next one!

View 217 comments

yourbestie u’re bein cheeky as hell posting a man in that last slide

ivyrep the vlogs here will be missed 🥲

liliacxs THE ICONIC KITCHEN NOOO 🥹🥹🥹

dearest16 do i spot a charles like on my fav vlogger’s instagram post

⤷ c4ncerising worlds collide 🤯

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, pierregasly, yourbestie, and 462.067 others

yourusername loving life in monaco 💋 moving in vlog is up now!

View 483 comments

ivyrep be honest which is better... monaco or paris

⤷ yourusername paris will always have a place in my heart but monaco has the best views icl

⤷ yourbestie do u mean views or VIEWS

nightsfilm is that A MAN'S HAND in the last slide?!?!?

charles_leclerc

liked by yourusername, pierregasly, arthur_leclerc, and 1.083.762 others

charles_leclerc Enjoying life during the winter break!

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pierregasly life is not the only thing you're enjoying is it?

⤷ britcedes PIERRE????

lvrarri CHARLES WHOSE HAND ARE YOU HOLDING???

yourusername 24h • 18h • 2h

charles_leclerc

liked by yourusername, pierregasly, and 1.223.584 others

charles_leclerc c'est la vie ❤️ tl: that’s life

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pierregasly who could this mysterious woman be 🤔

liked by yourusername

sainzism CHARLES NOT SINGLE ERA??!?!?!

britcedes HE HAS A NEW GF??? OMFGDJSGEUSHHS

⤷ l3clercs WHO TF STOLE MY HUSBAND

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, yourbestie, and 860.036 others

yourusername j'aime la vie ❤️ tl: i love life

View 713 comments

yourbestie who is this guy the suspense is killing me!!!

liked by charles_leclerc

nightsfilm icb she's taken now my chances r ruined

⤷ menthol1llness you had chances?

yourusername & charles_leclerc

liked by yourbestie, pierregasly, carlossainz55, and 1.628.683 others

yourusername nos vies ensemble ❤️ we've actually been dating for 2 years now and got engaged several months ago. after the engagement, we decided to finally take the wraps off our relationship but we wanted to do it in a fun little way 😄 we'll be answering any questions you have on my youtube channel so feel free to leave some in the comments!

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charles_leclerc the reveal could've been faster if you didn't spend two months designing and redesigning our new home...

⤷ yourusername considering it's ours for presumably the rest of our lives, i don't think it was too much, mon amour

pierregasly congratulations on finally revealing it after literally forever!

yourbestie FINALLY we've all been waiting for this announcement

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#10: The Grand Introduction (S3E06)

✨Top 10! ✨From here on out, we’re in truly iconic territory when it comes to the Richonne scenes on this list. And, of course, this absolutely unforgettable s3 moment right here is as iconic as they come. 🤩 I adore that this is where it all began. Where Richonne really was born. This is one of the most significant Richonne moments because it's the very first one. And what a special first one it was. It's only fitting for Rick and Michonne's epic love story to begin with such an epic introduction...

I'll always appreciate that this is one of the most heightened and important meetings of two characters in the whole TWD series. And it’s fitting because it establishes right from the jump that Rick and Michonne would become very very important to each other.

It’s so sweet that in such a precious familial moment between Rick, Carl, and Judith that’s the exact moment when the matriarch of the Grimes family arrives.

And I always love how, despite several people around, it’s Rick who spots Michonne from super far away and walks over on his own.

It feels like the universe’s own, "It’s for you" moment. 😌

As Michonne walks up to the fence, resiliently finding the prison and making it there despite being injured, I love that it’s Rick who walks toward her as though summoned by Cupid himself, cuz it shows those magnets started kicking in immediately.

And then I adore that there’s almost this unspoken passionate energy behind this scene as Rick and Michonne lock eyes for the first time and stare at each other from across the fence.

But it's so much more than a meet cute. It's utterly grand. This is the moment that kicked off the love story to top all love stories so of course it’s uniquely special. #historic

Having watched separate stories from Rick dealing with hardship at the prison and Michonne dealing with issues at Woodbury,  I love that this is the moment their stories finally join.

They finally get a major win because they found each other. Rick and Michonne's lives collide here and then only become more and more one.

I love that Michonne is here holding formula for Judith, the baby who will become her daughter. I've written before that I feel like part of what might have helped spur her to go to the prison is knowing there was a baby in there that needed that formula.

And it's great how from the literal moment she arrives Michonne is already being majorly helpful to Rick. She's brought his baby the sustenance she needs to live and then later has intel about Glenn and Maggie's whereabouts.

And I like that she stays fearlessly standing in between the walkers as they make eye contact through the fence. It lets Rick know this woman is special and brave. I've always felt the visual is a beautiful illustration of the living being found among the dead & love being found among loss. 

Rick had been having an episode of understandably losing it prior and was finally able to emerge from the darkness for a moment and hold Judith. And it's just precious to think that Rick first holds his daughter on the same day and in the same moment that he meets his wife and Judith’s mom.

It's poetic also when you know that Michonne and Judith are the two ladies he will later go on to declare as his ultimate choice, even after years apart from them. Warms my heart to no end. 😭

The way he walks over, the way Rick and Michonne seem to be taking each other in like “this is different.” You can’t tell me after these stare-downs that these two weren’t going to love each other eventually.

The innate draw and attraction were instant, and I love that we got to witness this love story from the literal first moment Rick and Michonne so passionately laid eyes on each other. 

This is the final beat of the episode cuz the end beat of an episode typically emphasizes something important that launches the story forward. And this introduction between Rick and Michonne would do just that, not only for the following episode but for the rest of the series. It changed the whole game. 💯

This scene is a powerful meeting between two tethered strangers destined to be tethered soulmates. And it's an extremely meaningful meeting as well because, from this point on, Rick and Michonne's journey to falling in love and building a whole life together would begin. Just life-changing in every way.

And I’ll add 3.07 to this too, because that’s when we get more of their interaction after their deep stares. I love that Michonne's future son and bestie Carl is the first one to ask about helping her and that he and Rick save her. It's like the first unofficial Grimes Family 2.0 moment. 🥰

Michonne even gets to demonstrate her resilient ability as she fights off those walkers before the pain from her gun wound takes over. And I bet Rick had to somewhat recognize the fight in her as the same fight in him. 

Then, after a quite thorough inspection to see if she's been bit, Rick easily carries Michonne over his shoulder to bring her into the prison, which...

It's giving a little romantic to me idk. 😋 And it just hit me that Rick picks up his daughter and his wife for the first time that day.

Inside the prison, they get her water and all that, and Rick introduces himself and asks her for her name, but Michonne won’t tell him. Understandably, cuz Sis had been through it at Woodbury with their crazy leader.

And y’all, I love this whole exchange, especially in retrospect, because it shows there was a fire between Rick and Michonne from the word go. 🔥

Rick and Michonne's whole first time in front of each other feels electric and passionate. Like even just from their movement alone in this scene, there's something magnetic.

I love that we’re witnessing two fierce fighters who have truly met their match. We're also witnessing the first of many times Rick and Michonne get publicly wrapped up in their Richonne bubble. 😌

It's interesting that the first thing Michonne ever says to Rick is, "I didn’t ask for your help." Because you'd think the first line was gonna be...

But fr, it ends up being pretty ironic that that's the first thing Michonne says to Rick because they both will help each other so much that it completely changes their lives for the better. And Rick tells her, "Can’t let you leave," which will also remain true forever. 😋 Cuz Michonne's never leaving that man's heart.

(Side note: Also, I realized there's significance in Rick saying "can't let you leave" because it's another thing that lets Michonne know Rick is different and better than the Governor. Where the Governor tried to act like people could come and go from Woodbury when they really couldn't, Rick is just honest and straightforward with it by saying they can't let her leave until they assess the situation, which is almost more reassuring for her to see him being upfront about it.)

So while I'm not in the camp of thinking they were in love at first sight, I do think Rick and Michonne were intrinsically drawn to each other at first sight and there was something special between them right there at that fence that would soon bloom into love. And if the current Rick were asked about this initial meeting with Michonne, I low-key feel he'd be like...

With their iconic grand introduction, Rick and Michonne truly changed each other's lives and ours. (oh and also the entrancement started from the jump too.⬇)

And while Rick and Michonne aren’t overly trusting of one another yet, I appreciate Rick’s willingness to help her out, offering to tend to her wound and all that.

As a screenwriter, I have this belief that when a story is right it almost wants to tell itself, as it organically flows in a certain direction. And then that's when as a writer you follow the story's lead and help sculpt that natural direction. So while the TWD writers didn't know for certain that Rick and Michonne would be a romantic pair in their first two episodes together...the story knew.

The way their introduction plays out in this personal yet grand sweeping way, with the two locking eyes and looking at each other not just with desperation or skepticism but with this underlying passionate intrigue as though the person they're looking at is both fascinating and familiar - Richonne's romance really was written in the stars right here, even before it was more intentionally planted in Clear.

It's a love story that was longing to be told. And I'll forever celebrate that Scott, Andy, and Danai listened to what the story was so clearly saying, and then sculpted the best love story I've ever seen.

Their whole meeting is just an introduction to remember and everything about Richonne's first moments together shouts...

Watching it back is even sweeter when you have the knowledge that on the other side of that fence, Rick and Michonne are looking at their soulmate, the person they will raise children with, have a child together, the person they will fall head over heels in love with.

Their lives joined forever on this day, and these two wouldn’t be the same without each other, so thank goodness for this unforgettable moment bringing Rick and Michonne iconically together. 😌🙌🏾

[brian-in-finance]

https://collider.com/outlander-series-finale-caitriona-balfe-update/

Thanks for the message, Anon. 😃

But… seriously? 🤦🏻‍♂️ Copy editor… anyone? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Let’s move on.

Starz

Caitríona Balfe Reveals How Much the 'Outlander' Cast Know About the Series Finale

As Caitríona Balfe wraps up filming on the long-running series Outlander, she opened up to Collider’s Steve Weintraub at the Toronto International Film Festival about her feelings on the emotional end of the beloved show. Balfe, who has played Claire Fraser for over a decade, shared the whirlwind of emotions she’s experiencing as the series nears its conclusion.

Reflecting on the journey, Balfe said, "It's wild. It's wild coming to the end. I feel every emotion possible sometimes all at the same time. We had our 100th episode the other day. We had a big moment for that. It's been amazing."

After 11 years of playing the iconic time-traveling character, it’s no surprise that saying goodbye to Outlander is bittersweet for Balfe. The show has been a massive part of her career and life, but she is also eager for the next chapter. "The show has given me so much and it's going to be really sad to say goodbye to it, but it's also kind of exciting to move on to the next stage," she shared.

While fans are anxious to know how Outlander will wrap up, Balfe revealed that even the cast has been kept in the dark about certain aspects of the final script.

The last script, I don't think any of us have read the full script. I think they're still keeping parts of it to themselves until the very day that we film it. It's kind of interesting, I can't give any spoilers because I don't know.

Balfe’s reflections on Outlander came as part of a conversation about her latest project, The Cut, which also stars Orlando Bloom. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, is already creating buzz, showcasing Balfe’s continued rise in the world of cinema. But as she moves forward, it’s clear that Outlander has left a lasting imprint on her both professionally and personally.

As Outlander enters its final phase, Balfe’s portrayal of Claire Fraser will remain an indelible part of the show’s legacy. Her emotional farewell to the series marks the end of an era, but for Balfe, it’s also the start of a new adventure. Outlander Season 7 Part 2 will premiere in November 2024, with fans eagerly awaiting how the story of Claire and Jamie Fraser will conclude in Season 8. For those looking to catch up, the first seven seasons are currently available to stream on Starz.

Stay tuned for more from TIFF, and special thanks to our sponsor Range Rover.

Collider

Remember… Outlander: During the reign of the Vikings, Kainan, a man from a far-off world, crash lands on Earth, bringing with him an alien predator known as the Moorwen. Though both man and monster are seeking revenge for violence committed against them, Kainan leads the alliance to kill the Moorwen by fusing his advanced technology with the Viking's Iron Age weaponry. — IMDb I feel every emotion possible sometimes all at the same time. We had our 100th episode the other day. We had a big moment for that. It's been amazing. — Caitríona Balfe

[whoreviewswho]

Your Evil is My Good - Pyramids of Mars, 1975

There are some things, though not many, that the Doctor Who fandom seems to universally agree on. Everybody seems to agree that the Weeping Angels are a great, iconic monster. Everybody seems onboard with the notion that The Caves of Androzani is one of the best stories of all time. Everybody seems to agree that the Hinchcliffe era is one of the most consistently good runs in the whole show. You can probably see where I am going with this. Pyramids of Mars has been forever lauded as one of the all-time great Doctor Who stories, a shining example of a show that appealed to all ages at the peak of its powers. 

Like all consensus opinions, there is obviously a clear logic to this. Pyramids of Mars is incredibly memorable and influential. It was, after all, the third serial to be released on the VHS line and it topped the DWM poll for most anticipated DVD release in 2003. Even if it were not so formative and prominent in fan's minds (the amount of times it has been selected for re-release and repeat is remarkable) it would still be one of the most influential and groundbreaking stories of its time. It is hard to challenge the claim that Pyramids of Mars is the single most important story of the Hinchcliffe era. Not the best (there are at least four prior to this that could more readily stake that claim) but, in an aesthetic sense, the pilot episode for the Hinchcliffe era or, at least, the one where everything finally falls into place.

Prior to Pyramids of Mars, Doctor Who had functioned primarily based on the approach pioneered by Verity Lambert and David Whittaker back in the early 1960s. Their vision of Doctor Who was as a programme defined by juxtaposing aesthetics and the storytelling had developed to facilitate that by colliding genres and styles of storytelling. What debuts in Pyramids of Mars is, in hindsight, the inevitable next step which is positioning the established aesthetics and logic of Doctor Who alongside specific pulp genre stories. The difference is the distinction between the Doctor walking amongst a space opera or a western and disrupting their logics and aesthetics and the Doctor walking around within 1971’s Blood of the Mummy’s Tomb and being beholden to its logic and aesthetic. 

In the 1990s, Steven Moffat infamously derided the Hinchcliffe era for comprising too largely of derivative pastiches and, while I ultimately agree with him, he is made to look a bit of a fool because of how much the approach does actually work. I like Pyramids of Mars. Of course I do. I'm a Doctor Who fan. This story is a blast to watch and it is the first in a really strong run of pulpy, gothic horror-pastiches that define the Hinchcliffe era in everybody's minds (I stress this is not the beginning of a run in terms of quality, just the start of an aesthetic period that also happens to be very good). This is a messy story but it is a very promising first showing. Pyramids of Mars proves that this model of Doctor Who can work and it lays the groundwork for better stories later down the track. after it to take this aesthetic and run into incredibly interesting places. So, as you have obviously concluded by now, this is not even close to my favourite of the Hinchcliffe era, let alone of all time. 

Yes, the production of Pyramids of Mars is spectacular. Probably the single strongest aspect of the Hinchcliffe era is just how good the show was at working within its limitations. None of the stories under his watch look especially naff and Pyramids of Mars is especially luscious. The serial is dripping in tone and atmosphere and I could not begrudge anybody frequenting it for just the mood it puts you in. The sets for the house are great and effortlessly evoke that classic, hammer horror tone of an old, creepy house with creepy old dudes doing creepy *cult* (we can replace that word with *casually stereotypically racist*) stuff. The visual effects are also excellent with particular kudos to that chilling bit where Marcus gets shot. I could watch that one sequence forever. 

This is not a script with a wealth of great material for the actors but there is no question that they are all exceptional. Paddy Russell even claimed as much herself, insisting upon finding strong actors to bolster material that she thought was lacking. Michael Sheard brings a lot to Laurence Scarman, the best part in the whole story from an acting perspective, but it is hard to look past Garbriel Woolf as Sutekh for the best guest performance in the serial. What a captivating voice and commanding presence. Tom Baker's performance is often praised for the seriousness and dread he brings to proceedings. He even has some particularly dark and alien moments such as his total detachment from the various deaths around him. In my opinion, however, I find his performance to be distant and disinterested, likely thanks to his frosty relationship with Russell. Luckily, it does serve this material well and offer an alienness to the role but he seems incredibly bored and pissed off every time he is onscreen.

As with this whole season though, Elisabeth Sladen is at the height of her powers and effortlessly wrings buckets of charm out of scripts that, again, serve her terribly. Following season eleven, it feels like nobody working on the show has any interest or even a take on the Sarah Jane that we were introduced to. Everybody who has ever seen this serial praises the scene where the Doctor leaves the events of the story for 1980 at Sarah's request and rightly so because it is a phenomenal sequence and possibly the most effective way to demonstrate how awesomely powerful the villain is in the whole show’s history. It's so good, of course, that Russell T. Davies had the good sense to nick it wholesale for The Devil's Chord. Everything aesthetically about Pyramids of Mars works. This is a great story to just watch and let wash over you. 

However, I think that this script is deeply flawed and definitely needed another pass before it could attain true GOAT status in my books. Perhaps that will seem unfair to those who will cry out in defence with the reminder that  this story was another late rewrite from Robert Holmes when the original scripts, from one time writer Lewis Griefer, were deemed unworkable. It is somewhat miraculous that this story even got made at all. It’s difficult to say now how much of the finished serial can truly be credited to whom. Greifer, was approached by Holmes, a former colleague, while headhunting new talent. Knowing he had a keen interest in Egyptian mythology, Holmes allegedly pitched the combination of science-fiction and a mummy horror film to him. Greifer’s scripts would have been radically different including the proposed final appearance of UNIT and the Brigadier, a scheme to solve world hunger with plantations on the moon year culminated in the Doctor uniting with Horus and Iris to take on the crocodile looking Seth and stop his plan to replace the grain and destroy the moon. It is from here that the development of the serial becomes very collaborative. Holmes met with Greifer and suggested a number of scaled-back alterations that were more in-line with what Doctor Who was suited to in 1976 as well as taking on suggestions from outgoing producer Barry Letts. 

Greifer revised his scripts further to what would be the basic plot of the television version, moving the detecting to Earth with an imprisoned Seth and his rocket-based plans, with the added addition of a fortune hunter seeking the world-saving rice in an ancient Egyptian tomb. Holmes remained unhappy with the scripts and, to make matters worse, Greifer fell ill after delivering a full script for the first episode only. Following his recovery, Greifer then promptly left the UK to take on a job her previously committed to leaving Holmes to do a page one rewrite with the consultation of director Paddy Russell based on what had already been put in motion. With all of this fraught pre-production in mind, I still think this story is an undercooked mess. The first episode is fantastic and I really love the third but there is so much padding in episodes two and four that really drag the whole thing down for me. The entire second episode is just spent cutting between Sutekh killing people and the Doctor setting up a plan to stop him that fails immediately: The foundations of this serial are really strong and it has some great dialogue, characters and moments but the whole thing fails to hold together for me especially in regards to pacing and the real lack of any interesting subtext to sink your teeth into. There is not much to love here that is not aesthetic.

But let's try and dig a little deeper anyway. Broadly speaking, mortality seems to be the theme that connects the various elements of the story. We are first introduced to the Doctor in what is probably my single favourite shot of him in the whole seven years he was in the show. We meet him alone, in silence and brooding in the TARDIS control room. Sarah enters in what will be a coincidentally appropriate Edwardian dress, our first indicator that this story is really all about aesthetics and flavour more than anything else, and we discover that the Doctor is in somewhat of a mid-life crisis, grappling with the uncomfortable realisation that his life is marching on and that he has no real purpose. This is a really well written and performed scene, one of the best the Doctor and Sarah ever had, and probably my favourite of the serial. While the original show on the whole is not know for deftness of characterisation and development, Pyramids of Mars proposes a potentially interesting starting place for the Doctor’s character which is simply to put him in a somewhat depressed mood and unhappy with the prospect of spending his remaining days at U.N.I.T.‘s beck and call. This a Doctor who has lost his sense of purpose and ambition. It is a great idea that could reveal a lot about the Doctor and challenge his character, as we later saw under Moffat's creative direction, but it never goes anywhere here. Pyramids of Mars is a serial about a villain who does have a defined purpose and ambition – to bring death to all of reality. Yet the person best poised to stop him is in a crisis himself about the prospect of that very thing arriving for him. The character-driven story of a wandering hero in a mid-life crisis versus the Lord of Death should simply write itself.

But it doesn't. The Doctor does not walk away from the end of this adventure with a renewed sense of self or really any semblance of change in the morose feelings he expresses in episode one. It would have been perfectly forgivable if his mid-life crisis was something that the production team set-up here and went on to develop over the season but that never happens either. The Doctor is more than happy to assist U.N.I.T. in the very next serial and yet once more before the season wraps up. The elements are all here to ie the themes and character beats together but it never really happens. For example, I would love to confidently read something deeper into the final visual of the house burning down. It is, after all, the Doctor’s defeat of Sutekh that starts the fire and we know from episode one that, later down the track, the manor is going to be rebuilt and repurposed as the U.N.I.T. headquarters.

The thematic implications of this are really nice. Sutekh wants to end everything, leaving "nothing but dust and darkness", but we all know that the manor's destruction is an ultimately necessary consequence to allow for something good to rise up from its ashes. Life always prevails and begins anew. This is a simple enough thematic beat that could have been teased out and made a lot stronger and it could even have been a clear indicator of some character resolution. With the Doctor inadvertently facilitating the conception of U.N.I.T., this whole image could represent his coming to terms with his place in the universe after combatting Sutekh and passionately redefining himself and coming to terms with a now mythic role as a defender of all life in the universe, a champion of change and renewal. It is something almost there in the script but not quite.

The use of Egyptian iconography in this story is very clever. We know that death was an incredibly important aspect of their culture. People's corpses were mummified to preserve them for the afterlife since death was very much believed not to be the end. There is some cool world-building in this story and I really like the idea that Egyptian culture is all founded upon the wars of the Osirans (Osiris being the Egyptian god of the dead and of fertility). Sutekh is directly mentioned as being the inspiration for Set, realised as well as one could expect in his final beastly form, and the whole premise of the story is hinging upon his previous eternal imprisonment at the hands of brother Horus. I love that the bringer of death is punished by having an eternally unlived life. I think that this context is intended to be paralleled with Marcus and Lawrence. The pair are brothers and, for most of the story, the former literally is Sutekh.

Or, in another sense, it might be helpful to take the Doctor’s advice and consider Marcus as already dead. That plays nicely into the broader subtext we are reaching for here of exploring different relationships with death. Lawrence is in denial of his brother’s death since he sees him walking, talking and breathing. The Doctor thinks otherwise, confidently claiming Marcus to be dead already and no longer Lawrence’s brother now that his mind has been overtaken. We should note the Doctor and Sarah’s later scene too where she expresses a lot of sorrow over Lawrence’s death while the Doctor more or less just shrugs, if anything he comes off mildly annoyed, and refuses to deviate from the bigger priority of stopping Sutekh. It is a very memorable and somewhat disturbing scene, the likes of which the modern characterisation of the character never lends itself to. Even the Twelfth Doctor at his most callous was condemned by everybody around him and served his greater character growth. In the case of this moment, it is Sarah who is framed to be in the wrong for imparting human values upon the Doctor which is a potentially interesting notion but not a thread Holmes ever seems interested on pulling on again.

But I’ve digressed. There is potentially something very cool in the parallel between the four brothers but, again, the story is in dire need of another draft to really pull it to the fore. Lawrence is ultimately killed by his brother in quite a genuinely tragic moment since he is such a well performed and written character but the actual implications and significance of the scene beyond just the sheer shock value are ultimately lost on me. Marcus ends up never even knowing he did this, presumably, since he is killed the second he is freed from Sutekh. If Lawrence could be read as a parallel with Horus, or perhaps more closely of Osiris if we are considered the actual Osiris myth, what is this actually supposed to communicate? To depict for us that Sutekh would kill his own brother given the chance, as we know he did? That there is no humanity to appeal to with this villain? I am not sure of the intention but the scene, like this whole story, is almost fantastic.

And then there is the final episode. Every critic of this story before me has already torn this episode to pieces but I will just take it on briefly and note that the whole story just kind of falls apart at this point. The opening scenes with the Doctor and Sutekh are awesome but as soon as we actually get to the titular location, Holmes starts playing for time really hard. The first three episodes are already padded out to the max with extended woodland chases, an awkwardly large number of scenes where the Doctor and Sarah are simply walking to the poacher's shed and the entire character of the poacher himself in episode two who interacts with none of the main cast (save Marcus) and is just killed anyway. None of this blatant stretching of the script bends to breaking point thanks to how strong the production is at capturing the horror tone and aesthetic but the fourth episode is not so lucky. What we have here, for most of the episode, is an extended sequence of the Doctor and Sarah attempting an Egyptian themed escape room. This could have been compelling and some of the puzzles are kind of cool but the presentation is actually quite awful and the whole logic of this situation kind of escapes me. I suppose that Horus set these up to stop Sutekh’s followers from getting into the pyramid but does he just have the same voice as Sutekh? Is that what is going on?

It also does not help the story that this section is all shot on CSO and, aside from some great model work, looks incredibly cheap and bad. The serial takes a really shoddy nosedive but the biggest insult of this whole affair is simply that the whole episode is a colossal waste of time. The Doctor and Sarah accomplish nothing in going to the pyramid and just turn around to go back to the house to save the day with a totally different plan by the end anyway. Neither the characters nor the audience gain anything at all from the whole sequence. 

Thus, this is the great conflict I have with Pyramids of Mars because I love watching it. I love the flavour of the story and the clear effort that everybody put in to make it the memorable, entertaining experience. For the most part, I am really sucked in by it. But it is not a masterpiece. In the end, there really isn't very much to say about it at all. This is a serial that feels like watching the tracks being laid when the train's already moving. It makes for a fun journey but the final destination is really shaky. Pyramids of Mars is exceptional in theory just leaves that little bit to be desired. 

It is still a cracking story though. After all, this is mid-70s Who we’re talking about.

[tumblydovereviews]

Could a LazyTown Revival Work?

Earlier this week, it was announced that Magnus Scheving, the creator of the hit preschool live-action series LazyTown, had bought back the rights to the series from WBD, with impending plans to bring the series back to a new generation as a reboot under his wings.

This would not be the first time LazyTown has, or attempted to be, revived. The original series only lasted two seasons before being commissioned by Sprout for two more after the series' massive success in the USA. After the end of the show's run, a movie was pitched, but ultimately ended up being scraped for unknown reasons.

In concept, this seems like a great thing. LazyTown was initially created as a combative show against rising cases of childhood obesity worldwide, and the Icelandic obesity rate actually dropped as after the release of the show. LazyTown encourages kids to be healthy- to get outside, eat nutritiously, and take care of themselves and others. With the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting today's children, bringing this show back to a new audience would be great.

And, LazyTown wouldn't be completely unknown to the public, either. According to a Collider article, LazyTown's following hasn't died down in the slightest, with the show amassing over 5.5 billion views on Youtube alone. It is clear that Sportacus, Stephanie, and Robbie Rotten are long from being forgotten totally.

However, not everything about a reboot would be too exciting.

For instance, there would be no Robbie Rotten. Stefan Karl Stefansson, Robbie's actor, passed in August of 2018 after a battle with bile duct cancer. While Robbie's actor could easily be replaced or his character in general be swapped out for a new gimmick, nothing would be completely able to mimic the personality of the iconic villain.

Also, if the show did come back, there's a high chance that it wouldn't be in the same form that we all know and love. Shows such as Caillou and Barney have also made their triumphant returns, albeit in the same CGI models, straying far away from their original forms, 2D and live-action respectively. Animation, specifically 3D, is more efficient to produce them mixed media or live action, and with more children flocking to brightly-colored, YouTube based animation, making LazyTown an animated series would not only result in flexibility in choosing actors for the characters, but also boost ratings more likely than not.

This isn't to say that live-action reboots, such as Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, and the upcoming Yo Gabba Gabbaland can't be successful- it's just not necessarily in the norm.

Now that Magnus has the rights to the show back, the question also arises on which channel this reboot, if produced, would air on. LazyTown did air on Nick Jr. at one point, and also made appearances on the now-defunct Sprout. Chances are since they willingly gave up the rights to this show, WBD channels probably will not be airing it, assuming it goes mainstream and doesn't become a Youtube-exclusive.

If done correctly, I think this reboot could be very successful! After all, it has happened once, so why not again. But, it goes without saying that it certainly wouldn't be the same for what we are used to from the franchise.

[superman86to99]

Super Titles Round-Up (August 1994)

This month: Superboy gets wet! Steel gets a new armor! The Eradicator gets sad!

Superboy #7

"Worlds Collide" continues, but pretty soon it's gonna be more like "Waves Collide" because of the two tsunamis about to hit the inter-dimensionally connected cities of Metropolis and Dakota. While Superman and the Blood Syndicate team up to stop the wave on the Metropolis side, Superboy, Static, and Rocket try to do the same in the Dakota one, but none of their powers are really suited for stopping massive amounts of city-destroying water.

(At least we get some excellent sound effects out of their failed attempts.)

In Metropolis, the Blood Syndicate's Aquamaria (whose powers, as the name implies, are "being made out of water" and "Spanish") turns into a smaller tsunami herself to try to counteract the wave. Meanwhile, Superboy and his Amazing Friends decide to change strategy and try to fool the god-like being causing all of this, Rift ("the world's most powerful disgruntled postal worker," as Superboy calls him), into stopping the wave. Instead, they anger him so much that he turns both tsunamis into a wave of fire -- just as Aquamaria was about to crash into it. RIP, Aquamaria (or "Steamaria" now, I guess).

In Dakota, Rift does end up turning the wave back into water and freezing it in time, just to show off. Superboy, Static, and Rocket manage to work together to knock Rift down, but he easily gets up again and freezes them too by trapping them inside a giant headstone. They'll stay stuck there until breaking out in Man of Steel #36, which leads to...

Steel #7

Sorry, this isn't the issue where we find out why Steel was wearing nothing but boxers in MoS #36 (you'll have to wait for the "Milestone Side" post for that). What's important is that Steel is working with his former rival Hardware and current enemy Hazard on a plan to stop their even bigger common enemy Rift. Part of that plan involves getting himself a new armor with Hardware's tech, hence him not being in his undies anymore. Other than that, the plan doesn't seem to be going too well, considering Rift carelessly squashes Metropolis and Dakota together into one city on the second page.

Rift announces that now that he's merged the cities, he's gonna sort out the "continuity problems" by getting rid of all the redundant elements, like the two evil labs/sleep clinics where he was experimented on when he was a regular mailman. The heroes don't want Rift to destroy the lab because it contains the weapon Steel and Hardware created to depower him, so they join forces to distract him while Superman, Icon, and Hazard go retrieve the anti-Rift device.

By the way, while all the heroes fight Rift, there's a coloring error that suddenly turns Rocket into Superboy -- further evidence that Superboy's Milestone Universe counterpart is a pregnant girl.

Superman and Icon get the weapon out right before Rift remembers what he was doing and destroys the labs and everyone in them --including Hazard, apparently, which leaves Steel with some conflicted emotions. The guy seemingly died saving two worlds, sure, but he did also try to kill most of Steel's family. Rift teleports away at the end of the issue (he's gonna go mess with the Blood Syndicate in their own series) and the heroes fly off to see what they can do with that weapon. TO BE CONCLUDED IN ANOTHER POST! Here's some cool Humberto Ramos art to tide you over until then:

Outsiders #10

After helping the Outsiders break out of jail, the Eradicator joins them on a trip to "the underworld nation of Abyssia" to look for their teammate Looker, who has been turned into a vampire by the Dracula wannabe ruling that place. While down there, everyone suddenly starts experiencing visions related to tragic moments in their lives. In the Eradicator's case, he remembers he had two kids as Dr. David Connors and sees them calling him a freak.

Did that really happen? Because that's grounds for getting disowned, young men (though I guess they're getting their inheritance anyway since everyone thinks Dr. Dave is already dead). Anyway, you might think the vampire lord is causing these visions, but nope, he's getting them too and no one has any idea what's going on. The Outsiders find Looker, who betrays them, but then it turns out she was only pretending to betray them... and then it turns out she was only pretending to be pretending to betray them. So, yeah, she's evil. CONTINUED!

The Spectre #21

Superman is part of a truly random assortment of DC characters appearing in this issue, including most of the Justice Society, Lucien from Sandman, Nightshade from Suicide Squad, and Naiad from Firestorm (who, coincidentally, is also a lady made of water, like Aquamaria). Oh, and Adolf Hitler and Bill Clinton appear too. Jesus, who isn't in this issue? Not Jesus, he's also in here. Seriously!

President Clinton has tasked a guy named Professor Hazzard (another coincidence! Worlds ARE Colliding!) with finding a way to kill the Spectre if that ever becomes necessary. Hazzard travels into the Dreaming (read: takes a nap) and, with Lucien's help, learns about the Spear of Destiny: a spear that once struck Jesus, which eventually ended up in Hitler's hands and was used to keep all of the Justice Society, including the Spectre, out of Germany during World War II.

The Spear is now in a Raiders of the Lost Ark-esque warehouse, but Clinton orders they take it out once he learns that the Spectre has apparently flooded part of Tokyo and killed hundreds of people. Of course, that wasn't the Spectre, it was Naiad the Water Elemental, who went crazy and decided to kill everyone working in the Japanese oil company that caused the incident that gave her her powers. But Clinton doesn't know that, so he needs someone to wield the Spear and use it against the Spectre. Guess who he drafts for the job?

But that's not gonna happen until next issue. CONTINUED, TOO!

Legionnaires #17 and Valor #22

I wanna mention these issues since they make reference to the Pocket Earth Superboy, even though his role in the Legion of Super-Heroes' origin had been erased some years earlier (at this point, Valor was the young hero who inspired the Legion, not Superboy). The Legion's continuity is a complete mess, which is nothing new, but suddenly they're aware of it and that's causing troubles. For once, the Legionnaires are as baffled as the readers.

In fact, it's such a mess that their entire world is falling apart and they start looking for a new one to settle on. That's when one of them remembers there's an empty planet just sitting there: Superboy and Supergirl's Pocket Earth, which has been deserted since Superman killed its last three non-synthetic inhabitants in Superman #22. The plan is to literally haul the planet out of the Pocket Universe and put it where the old Earth used to be. Easy! The only problem is that once they bring the Pocket Earth over to the non-Pocket DC Universe, its core inverts or whatever and it turns into a time bomb. Whoops! ALSO TO BE CONTINUED, BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

Showcase '94 #9

The Dan Jurgens-written Waverider/Monarch story that started last issue concludes here (finally, something without a "CONTINUED" at the end). Monarch, who was always a bit of a knucklehead when he was a superhero called Hawk, has somehow invented a device that captured Waverider and his fellow Linear Man, Hunter, and forced them to ping-pong through time. Waverider finally breaks free and attacks Monarch -- but that was all part of his plan.

Monarch uses Waverider's chronal energy to look into his own past and find out why he's so smart now: it's because when he killed his former partner Dove at the end of Armageddon 2001, her "powers, reason and intelligence" merged into Hawk's dumb meathead body and turned him into a superior being. This warrants a name (and costume) change, so from now on, he's calling himself "Extant."

Extant dies fighting Waverider and Hunter... or that's what should have happened according to Hunter's temporal research. Instead, Extant completely owns both of them and steals Waverider's time-traveling wrist-cuff, which means he now has the powers and smarts to change history as he pleases. This also means I LIED! TO BE CONTINUED IN ZERO HOUR! 0:

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