#allen: *stays in the exact same pose*

[jrueships]

allen's .5 inch bigger hands

[esonetwork]

Fly me to the Moon

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/fly-me-to-the-moon/

Fly me to the Moon

When people think of the moon they think of a dull, grey, featureless rock with no atmosphere, and in real life, that’s kind of the way that it is. I mean, sure, the moon has its phases, like this week’s full Strawberry Moon, but that’s for people on the ground. Let’s use our imagination and do what Frank Sinatra sings about. Let’s fly to the moon right now. What’s going on up there?

Let’s look at some pictures of the Moon.

Here’s a John Harris painting from 1989. Harris is best known for painting massive ships floating majestically in a multicolored space, but this is a rare painting of astronauts. Two astronauts in yellow who have come across another astronaut in red. The red astronaut is half buried and is quite dead. Dead for some time, obviously (50,000 years as it turns out) as his skeletal remains attest.

It’s an interesting picture with some unsuual but bold color choices and a blocky composition, but the transition from grey to red to yellow to ice blue and then the deep blue of space gives it a real impact on the viewer. You feel like you’ve really been taken somewhere.

The painting is an illustration for an edition of James. P. Hogan’s 1977 novel Inherit the Stars, the first in his Giants series. It’s had a few editions and a few different covers. Here’s another one:

This one is by Darrell K. Sweet for the Del Rey edition. It depicts the same scene as the Harris painting does, but in a completely different way. Sweet’s version, with its heavy use of blues and the swirling patterns in the space background, gives the tableau a more unsettling feeling. The active pose of the corpse lends to the creepy factor as well. It looks as though the hapless astronaut has been frozen in his last desperate moments. It looks as though Sweet’s Skeleton astronaut could suddenly come to life and try to dig himself out.

I need to point out that this image is very tightly cropped. A fuller version can be seen in an image of the paperback cover. It is also interesting to note that the image on the paperback cover is flipped horizontally. I’m not sure which way the original painting was oriented but it is interesting to see how the image has a subtly different impact when it is flipped.

Is that still too prosaic? Is there not enough romance in these pictures of the moon?

Well, then, let’s go back in time. Let’s go back to 1926. From the hard science fiction of James P. Hogan let’s take a look at the planetary romances of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Let’s stay on the moon, though. The moon is fun, particularly if you don’t need a spacesuit and can ride a centaur.

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ The Moon Maid first appeared in hardback with the dust jacket cover painted by legendary illustrator J. Allen St. John. It depicts the title character, the moon maid herself, riding over the surface of the moon on the back of a black skinned centaur creature. Excitement and planetary romance all bundled together in one exciting image.

Let’s fast forward to 1962 when Ace Books put out a mass market paperback edition. At the time there was no better artist to do this book justice than Roy G. Krenkel. Krenkel’s cover depicts the exact same image, the moon maid herself riding on the back of a black skinned cantaur creature.

Krenkel changes the angle, gives it more flow, more punch. The centaur seems to be riding right towards the viewer. Krenkel depicts the same things that St. John does, but gives it his own stamp, his own signature.

But Ace isn’t done. In the late 1970’s Ace re-released all the Burroughs’ books and this time they have Frank Frazetta contracted to do covers. They tell Frank to go to town and he does.

Same picture… same mood maid riding a black skinned centaur… but what a difference! Frank has the centaur heading away from us but he turns the figures to look back at the viewer as if to say “Come with us!” Frazetta’s painting is an invitation, one that few could pass up.

But Frank wasn’t finished. Later on he tries it again.

Same composition but… somehow he finds more out of this image. And this is now an iconic Frazetta painting. You may not know Edgar Rice Burroughs or The Moon Maid, but you know this image. It has been seared into the public conscioussness.

You know what? There’s lots more to talk about on this topic but, honestly, I’m tired of the moon. Outside, here on Earth, the sun is still shining and I want to get out and play. Hope you enjoyed looking at these pictures. I’ll have more next month.

[amphtaminedreams]

Filling the Met Shaped Hole (No, Not Like That): The Best Red Carpet Looks of Awards Season 2020

Hi to anyone reading,

I want to jump straight into things and ask a question. Which is the best Met Gala theme of the last 5 years and why is it Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination?

Seriously though, despite the fact that I’m not sure anything will top Heavenly Bodies with the preceding and succeeding Met Galas being relatively disappointing (the camp theme definitely could have been taken further and lets not even talk about the Comme Des Garcons disaster), I still get excited for the gala every year, staying up til whatever hour of the morning so I can see all the fashion live. Of course, it makes complete sense that this year’s event has been postponed until October given the circumstances but the chosen theme of Fashion and Duration had the potential to be quite interesting, so I hope we do eventually get to see it; whilst I don’t miss endlessly scrolling through photos of every white male celebrity wearing the exact same suit and tie to the point where fangirls claim Harry Styles to be a pioneer of breaking gender norms because he wore a pink top, I long for the days where we could all temporarily coexist in peace and harmony thanks to the internet’s collective dragging of the Kardashians for paying no attention to the theme whatsoever. We should’ve guessed life as we know it was about to be flipped on its head when they actually turned up in something interesting last year.

What I’m trying to say is that I would love nothing more than to jump back in time to when tomorrow morning’s top Google search would be best Met Gala looks, and not how many lives did Boris Johnson’s fuckery cost us today. So in honour of the lack of trivial content, I thought I’d fill the Met shaped hole in our lives (amongst many other unfilled holes; today the freezer door at work hit me on the ass whilst I was putting ice cubes out and I think for a split second I got all flushed) by putting together a collection of my personal favourite red carpet looks from this year’s awards season and their respective afterparties: the BAFTAs, Brits, Critic’s Choice Awards, Golden Globes, Oscars, SAG Awards, and the Grammys to finish with.

Enjoy!

British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award (yes, that’s the BAFTAs but I needed a longer title)

(L-R: Zoe Kravitz in Dior, Rooney Mara in Givenchy, and Scarlett Johansson in Versace)

I am a British fan of television and arts but I will gladly say it: of all the awards ceremonies, the BAFTAs is hardly the most exciting, and the red carpet even less so. As I said, lots of boring men in boring suits and middle aged women being dressed by stylists who seem to think we’re dead from the neck down by the time we hit 40 and dress us accordingly so. Any hint of a décolletage explicitly forbidden.

There were a few good looks, however. From left to right, above we have Zoe Kravitz in Dior, Rooney Mara in Givenchy and Scarlett Johansson in Versace, who looks so amazing I almost forget that 1). Versace is going down the drain and 2). Scarlett Johansson would stand in front of a forest and take the role of a tree if she could. Which, along with her whole defence of Woody Allen, is really shit-she’s genuinely great in Marriage Story and an otherwise talented actress. As for Zoe Kravitz, she is up there with Robert Pattison as one of my biggest crushes right now and looks amazing in literally everything she wears, and Rooney Mara is consistently low-key yet elegantly dressed. 

(L-R: Greta Gerwig in Gucci, Florence Pugh in Dries Van Noten, Renee Zellweger in Prada)

Renee Zellweger proved an exception to the rule when it came to women over the age of 40 generally having clueless stylists-her dress is beautiful, very reminiscent of the delicate, demure beauty of 50s icons such as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. Florence’s dress, I actually really loved. It didn’t seem to go down all too well with actual Florence Pugh fans but red and pink together is an elite combo; I’m still firmly on the “surprised that it works but I’m into it” train. I mainly included Greta’s dress for the green velvet, to be honest; it’s disappointingly low-key for Gucci but nice enough all the same.

(L-R: Andrew Scott in Paul Smith, Charlize Theron in Dior, Daisy Ridley in Oscar de la Renta, and Emilia Clarke in Schiaparelli)

I was particularly excited to see Emilia Clarke in Schiaparelli-yes, I adore her because she played Daenerys Targaryen and I was ride or die for that bitch but also whenever I see her interviewed she has the most exuberant energy and honestly I want to be best friends. It’s not the most interesting dress Schiaparelli has ever put out there, but I like the fact that she went for something unique all the same.

Forest green is a colour I find hard to resist which is why I included Andrew Scott’s otherwise kinda basic suit (points for it being velvet) and Daisy Ridley in Oscar de la Renta. As elegant as the dress is, I would love for her stylist to have really leaned into the forest nymph vibes I’m getting and do something a bit less uptight with the hair and makeup; like imagine loose curls with tiny braids and hair rings and a dark lip and a slight smoke around the eye and...yes, I have very specific visions, I know. As for Charlize Theron, her work with Dior is the only reason I care about the brand; there’s definitely a case to be made here for giving Maria Grazia the benefit of the doubt, assuming that she tries all the prototypes on women who look like Charlize and that that’s why she’s happy to send dresses that are otherwise relatively underwhelming down the runway. 

The Brit Awards

(L-R: Charli XCX in Fendi, Ellie Goulding in Koche, Hailee Steinfeld in Fendi, and Harry Styles in Gucci)

In my opinion a much better reflection of quintessential British style than the BAFTAs, I originally ruled out including any music award ceremony red carpets in this post until I saw Maya Jama and Charli XCX’s looks. Consider me pleasantly surprised by Hailee Steinfeld’s cobalt blue burnout dress, a classic incarnation of the regal bohemian aesthetic Fendi channelled in their 2019 haute couture show. Plus Charli’s emo take on Glinda the Good Witch is also Fendi, driving home for me just how much I love their collections. I don’t know if I’d be sure about Ellie Goulding’s dress on the rack but the simple styling makes it work and she looks gorgeous, and Harry Styles looks just as pretty in a Gucci look that is MADE for him.

(L-R: Adwoah Aboah in Vivienne Westwood, Celeste in Gucci on the far right! I’m not sure who the guy in the middle is, I’m sorry and if anybody knows drop me a message and I will correct this immediately!)

Unfortunately, Harry Styles and Celeste didn’t get to pose together because this is really a perfect his and hers Gucci look; I feel like seeing one outfit next to the other would really highlight the quirky elegance of each. That being said, it feels criminal to talk about elegance without including Adwoah Aboah in Vivienne Westwood in the sentence; the dress is obviously stunning quality on its own merit, but Adwoah is what elevates it from unremarkable to ethereal. Fuck the weird ass knight figure that’s currently on top of the Brit Award, this woman is the definition of statuesque! Put her on top of the trophy you cowards!

And just to get it out of the way, when it comes to the guy in the middle, to quote Keke Palmer:

Sorry to this man.

Honestly, I saved all the red carpet photos from a Nylon (I think it was Nylon?) article back when the awards aired and towards the end of the photos they stopped including names-this happened a few times when I was looking through red carpet galleries. I reverse image searched where I could but not every photo turned anything up. If anyone does know who this man is, message me so I can include his name. He looks sick, and as far as suits go, this one is built upon and accessorised enough that it’s actually a look rather than the same old variation of a suit we’ve seen a million times before that may as well be the straight man’s designated red carpet uniform. 

(L-R: Maya Jama, Neh Neh Cherry in Bottega Veneta, Laura Whitmore)

And now the woman that forced me to include the Brits red carpet in this post in the first place: Maya Jama. Don’t get me wrong, my mind isn’t blown by this dress on its own, I probably prefer Laura Whitmore’s (Jaded do a similar newspaper dress and I’ve resisted adding it to my basket for 6 months now, this is the ultimate test of whether or not I finally cave), but Maya looks fucking MAGNIFICENT. The fit, the gloves, the confidence with which she carries it, it’s all SO good. Considering the timing, this is basically her Princess Diana revenge dress levelled up, 2020′s Jessica Rabbit moment. 

(L-R: Maya Jama, Ellie Goulding, Kendall Jenner)

Obviously anything is gonna be a step down from the red carpet look but Maya’s Brits afterparty outfit was cute too, if a tad Pretty Little Thing. 

Don’t ask me what Kendall Jenner was doing at the Brits afterparty btw, because I have no idea. We live in a world where the Kardashian-Jenners just seem to occupy every public space possible and I’ve begrudgingly accepted it at this point. I don’t have the energy to question it-and it helps that green catsuit is actually Very Cool™. 

For the last of my favourite Brit Awards looks, we have a few more afterparty photos-from left to right we have Charli XCX again, Lizzo, and Anne Marie. It was Charli posting her dress on Instagram that sent me searching for afterparty looks in the first place; apparently wearing nothing but feathers and crystals is something that appeals to me, and the more I read that statement, the more it sounds spot-on. I’d categorise it as gothic glamour hoe, and slot it in with the rest of the night-out clothes in my wardrobe that I think I’ll finally have the balls to wear out of sheer desperation once this lockdown is over. The Blossom to Charli XCX’s Buttercup here, we’ve also got Anne Marie looking extra AF and I loveeeee it; it’s an ensemble somewhere between a high-end version of Alaska Thunderfuck’s candyfloss Sugar Ball dress from season 5 of Drag Race (Alaska DID deserve to win AS2 nation, rise up) and a low-key version of a Katy Perry California Dreams Tour costume. I don’t call it low-key as a drag, just a regretful admission of the fact that maybe wearing a cupcake bra which squirts whipped cream out of the boobs is a bit too much for most of us. 

Critic’s Choice Awards

(L-R: Alison Brie in Brandon Maxwell, Chloe Bridges in Azeeza, Cynthia Erivo in Fendi, Florence Pugh in Prada)

I was going to say the Critic’s Choice Awards is kind of America’s version of the BAFTAs but then I remembered that the BAFTAs is really the only big TV and film awards ceremony we have here in the UK and that it’s kind of sad that I have to compare our most high-profile red carpet of the year to L.A’s most low-key one. Getting Cynthia Erivo and Florence Pugh to infiltrate is the best we can do. 

THAT BEING SAID! 

They both look amazing. This is Florence’s best red carpet look of this year, imo (she the prettiest icicle I’ve ever seen), and Cynthia Erivo’s arm must ache from serving the entire awards season. And in Fendi! Taste!

Side note before we move onto the next set of looks: has anybody else watched Alison Brie in Mad Men and Community simultaneously and experienced the extreme cognitive dissonance that comes from watching her play a tragically nerdy (relatable tbh) 18 year old and an overly-sophisticated 30 something married to an ad man in the 60s at the same time? Weird, but anyway! The orange dress with the red lipstick is channelling Marina Diamandis’ Froot era style subtle sex appeal and is a timeless, playful combo. Put the hair up into a beehive and it’s Megan Draper on a date in Cabo-don’t know much about the place but I know the sea is aqua and the sun seekers are blindingly white and the cocktails are plentiful (and whatever colour you want them to be), and all that together is a juicy palette if we’re talking cinematography. The Mad Men directors are out there somewhere shaking their fists at the sky that they never got to consult me on that, I’m sure. 

(L-R: Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Dior, Saoirse Ronan in Erdem and Zendaya in Tom Ford)

Zendaya’s red carpet look was the stand out of the Critic’s Choice Awards for sure; the skirt I can do without but I hope that hot pink metal breastplate ends up on display somewhere because that is ART, and she is the perfect person to wear it. The Tiffany Pollard “she's so powerful” meme was made for this moment. 

Also, can we talk about Phoebe Waller-Bridge backing up my Dior 2019 Haute Couture wasn’t *that* bad hypothesis? Because unless I’m mistaken this is one of the dresses from that collection and it is quite beautiful. Yeah, black mesh isn’t going to start a revolution or anything but it’s so delicate looking it almost seems out of place on a red carpet-I don’t know if it’s the structure of the bodice or the tulle but I can totally see this in a gothic ballet, whether that’s sensible in theory or not. Probably not. But then again I did quit ballet when I was 10 after months of getting people to near poke me in the eye on the way out of class so it would look like I’d been crying and I didn’t have to go to my lessons after school. So what do I know? Fuck all, in case that wasn’t clear. I also feel a little vindicated by Saoirse wearing one of the Erdem dresses I loved from last year’s collection-if multi-award winning actress Saoirse Ronan’s probably ridiculously well-paid stylist liked it enough to pick it out for her then I guess I’m doing okay in terms of taste levels.

(L-R: Olivia Wilde in Valentino, Lucy Hale in Miu Miu, Mandy Moore in Elie Saab, and Margaret Qualley in Chanel)

The last few Critics Choice Awards looks I picked out above aren’t thrilling or anything but they’re cute enough to include-from left to right we have Olivia Wilde in Valentino, Lucy Hale in Miu Miu, Mandy Moore in Elie Saab and Margaret Qualley in Chanel. It’s kind of besides the point, but Margaret worked with Chanel throughout awards season and I just wanted to add my two cents in here and say that I think she’s the perfect person to collaborate with (also think Laura Harrier would be a good match, anyone agree?) and that in a similar vein, I urge Miu Miu, the creative directors of which I’m sure are eagerly awaiting the opinion of irrelevant Tumblr user amphtaminedreams, to work with Lucy Hale more often. I feel like if girl stopped starring in those shitty Blumhouse horrors and did something a bit more sophisticated she’d fit the brand right down to a T.

The Golden Globes

(L-R: Cynthia Erivo in Thom Browne, Dakota Fanning in Dior, Jane Levy in Steven Khalil, and Janina Gavankar in Georges Chakra)

Finally! I hear you cry! A more exciting red carpet! It’s not the Oscars, but celebrity stylists still pulled the big guns for this one, the Golden Globes probably being considered the second most prestigious American awards ceremony of the year. Plus Dakota Fanning was there! Big yay for me! She and Elle can practically do no wrong in my eyes and are probably the only 2 women that could take on Dakota Johnson and Jennifer Lawrence when it comes to established red carpet style. 

Cynthia Erivo did it again, of course, as slick, as dignified and as regal as she was at the Critic’s Choice. The woman really has got this power stance thing locked down; she always seems so cool and confident in everything she wears that the whole getting dressed up to go out out out (we call going to the club going “out out”, but I’d say a red carpet is a slightly bigger deal than my local club with the sticky floors hence the 3rd out) thing looks like second nature.

(L-R: Zoey Deutch in Fendi, Karamo Brown in Grayscale, Lucy Boynton in Louis Vuitton and Kat Graham in Georges Hobeika)

Lucy Boynton was another of my Golden Globes stand outs, and in general is someone who I really look forward to seeing at red carpet events. She (or her stylist, I don’t know how much of a role she plays!) always seems to commit fully to an outfit and sees it as part of a whole concept where the makeup, hair and accessories are equally as important and that is a girl after my own heart. 60s space age empress is the theme here and I’m all about it-well, either that or a feminine editorial take on the tinman from the Wizard of Oz but the former sounds a bit cooler and does way more justice to how good she looks so we’ll go with that. Quick shoutout to Kat Graham too because she looked absolutely radiant. 

(L-R: Shailene Woodley in Balmain, Winnie Harlow in Laquan Smith, and Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent)

The trio above I really couldn’t skim over, Winnie Harlow especially; my America’s Next Top Model grudges aside, she consistently turns it out at every event she’s invited to. She’s another woman that wears pieces with such confidence that they look like they were actually made on her body-even if the garment itself isn’t the most breathtaking in the room, she’s the one that draws my attention. Though she’s got these dainty, other-worldly qualities about her, what you’d expect to be a gentle presence is firm and commanding and whilst the sharp drama and glitz of the dress probably helps, that’s just the way Winnie Harlow is naturally, based on her other red carpet appearances. 

Zoe Kravitz is an interesting one because, on the one hand, her looking amazing with that bone structure (I would trade a vital organ to look like that any day) is a given, but it does also seem like she went out of her way to do something a bit different this past awards season. I have always loved her street style for its trademark edge and the androgynous, oversized silhouettes that she leans towards, and the overt femininity of her red carpet dresses is that grungy, skater girl aesthetic completely flipped on its head. It’s cute, and if anyone can pull a dress as kitschy as this off, it’s Zoe. She’s got that just rolled out of bed look we all dream of that screams “I’m over this shit” whereas the rest of us have to rely on dark circles to get the message across. It’s very weird to think that she and Shailene Woodley were in Divergent together, especially since Zoe in particular has changed so much since. 

My main note with Shailene was just that I got excited to see that Balmain dress off the runway-it was one of my favourites from the S/S 2020 collection (IIRC, mostly on the basis that I’m pretty sure it wan’t haute couture), and it looks good! Not wildly good because I’m not sure the fit of the dress is inherently all that flattering, but still good-she makes it work.

(L-R: Taylor Swift in Etro, Sofia Carson in Giambattista Valli and Scarlett Johansson in Vera Wang)

I know a lot of people online didn’t seem to like Taylor Swift’s dress, but she looks cute, imo. I will say that I’m surprised it’s Etro! At first glance I would’ve thought Carolina Herrera or Oscar de la Renta or something along those lines. And predictably, I think Sofia Carson looks flawless. If you’ve read any of my other posts you’re probably sick of hearing it but I really can’t resist anything that is this modern Disney princess, like powder pink layered tulle? Feathers? What did you expect me to say, ew? I think deep down my clothing preferences will always be that of a 9 year old girl and you know what, that’s okay. Sometimes. Well, when it comes to red carpets. That’s when you can kinda get away with it.

(L-R: Bell Powley in Miu Miu, Billy Porter in Alex Vinash, and Charlize Theron in Dior)

There’s a few things worth mentioning when it comes to the above outfits. Firstly, and most importantly, I need to proclaim my love for Billy Porter. No man is doing it like him, honestly. To compare Harry Styles in his pink suits is unfair. The drama and the beauty and the flair that Billy brings every awards ceremony is on another level and that’s all I have to say about that. If you disagree, I’m gonna need a bullet pointed essay-I am that firm in my opinion.

Second, Bell Powley in Miu Miu semi confirms the direction their PR team tend to head in when choosing women to work with. I might be totally alone here but I feel like she and Lucy Hale both have one of those porcelain doll faces which work really well with Miu Miu’s signature girlish silhouettes and overly-ornate details. 

And thirdly, just to restate my earlier point: someone give Charlize Theron a pat on the back for bringing some life to a Dior design. That is all.

(L-R: Jodie Comer in Mary Katrantzou, Joey King in Schiaparelli and Kaitlyn Dever in Valentino)

All the newcomers really turned it out too, which is a sentence I type through gritted teeth; to call Jodie Comer of My Mad Fat Diary origins a newcomer pains the former depressing 2013 black and white Tumblr user in me, though I suppose to the US audiences uncultured in the ways of British teenage angst Vilanelle is her breakthrough role. And how Vilanelle is this dress too!? It’s bold and it’s attention-grabbing and it’s fun and it is definitely very theatrical female fictional villain that you were inexplicably drawn to as a child before you realised why as an adult-”oh, it’s because she was hot”. 

Joey King in Iris van Herpen was a pleasant surprise too considering that when I first looked through the red carpet photos I only knew her as the girl who was in that shitty Netflix original-having watched her in The Act, I apologise for the dismissal! And I admire the sartorial choice! I adore Iris van Herpen designs but as a short girl, wearing one of her dresses to a red carpet event is a risky decision-I hate to admit it because casting a diverse range of people for shows is something I have come to expect of my favourite brands, but the appeal of a lot of IvH pieces comes from the movement of the garments on standard willowy runway models. Fortunately, the styling is really complementary here, and whilst it can’t be denied that the dress itself does swamp her a bit, I liked that she and her stylist stepped out of the box. 

Kaitlyn Dever’s red carpet look is obviously a lot more typical, but you can't go wrong with a Valentino dress, and this one in particular is so suited to the aura she gives off-it’s young and it’s fun and it’s fresh and the intricate floral print, otherwise muted if not for the spring influenced pops of pink and red, is timelessly pretty.

(L-R: Akwafina in Dior, Saoirse Ronan in Celine, Beanie Feldstein in Oscar de la Renta, and Renee Zellweger in Armani)

Lastly, there was Saoirse Ronan in Celine-one of my highlights of the night; she looked phenomenal, a glacial toned dream, and it was pretty different to what I generally expect to see her in. I might be way off base and in need of a bit of a review of her red carpet style, but I feel like she usually leans more towards pretty than edgy with regards to her styling at these kinds of events and a loose fitting, gun metal glittered slip dress is, imo, the perfect way to hit that previously uncharted midway point between the two.

(L-R: Kate Bosworth in Prabal Gurung, Kathryn Newton in Valentino and Sarah Hyland)

Now onto the afterparty looks, and I’m not gonna lie, they’re usually the highlight of the ceremonies for me; I feel like the initial ceremony is all about looking respectful and maintaining that whole dedicated actor image, whereas it seems the literal point of these showbiz parties is a competition to be the best dressed person in the room. Competition really makes people step their game up, and we always get to see more young talent whose style tends to be more current than that of the people we see on the red carpet. 

I’ve got to say, as annoying as I found her character in The Society, I have to overlook that gut instinct of irritation when I see Kathryn Newton and accept how stunning everything going on here is; honestly, she looks like an angel, and I feel like the team at Valentino must reeeeally like her to put her in that dress.

(L-R: Alexa Demie, Ashley Benson in Georges Hobeika, Maude Apatow and Barbie Ferreira)

Obviously I was super excited to see the Euphoria girls on the red carpet, especially Alexa Demie-she does 90s/early noughties inspired glamour better than anyone else on the young actor scene right now and her personal style and the sass she does so well as Maddy Perez shines through every time. Whilst Barbie Ferreira’s look is more casual and achievable for the rest of us in terms of wearability, it’s just as interesting a take on the same period; the delicate pink makeup, hair and jewellery with the 90s inspired slip dress in light teal is a red carpet take on soft grunge for the ages. As for Ashley Benson, she always looks gorgeous and that’s all I’m gonna say before I get emotional and start going into a rant about how her and Cara Delevigne’s relationship was one of the only good things about this shitshow of a year and how now that they’ve broken up the single flame of hope inside me has been extinguished and how their sex swing is gonna get so lonely with them caught in the middle of an ugly custody battle and-

You get the idea.

(L-R: Storm Reid, Sophia Bush in John Paul Ataker, and Sydney Sweeney)

(L-R: Billie Lourd, Paris Hilton, and Camila Morrone)

The Oscars

(L-R: Charlize Theron in Dior, Cynthia Erivo, and Florence Pugh in Louis Vuitton)

Ah, the Oscars. This is where the big money is really spent, and bad decisions are made-in fairness, this year’s winners were a lot more satisfying than usual and I think all of us felt that Parasite was a well-deserved win. I really thought it was gonna be Once Upon a Time in Hollywood just as a bit of a token gesture to Tarantino considering it’s his 9th film, though undoubtedly his worst of the ones I’ve seen, so I was relieved that this wasn’t the case. That being said, it still pains me to see the horror genre being ignored by the academy-in my mind, Florence is here for her performance in Midsommar just as much as Little Women. 

At the risk of getting repetitive, just assume my opinions on Charlize Theron in Dior here are the same again, that Cynthia Erivo is still bringing goddess energy (this is probably my favourite of her looks), and that against the opinion of the masses, Florence looks divine in this colour. I mean, when I say the masses I just mean the people I follow on Twitter, but still, I just wanted be an excuse to be dramatic so that I could insert a meme.

(L-R: Natalie Portman in Dior, Regina King in Versace, Scarlett Johansson in Oscar de la Renta, and Sandra Oh in Elie Saab)

Once again, Scarlett Johansson’s stylist is doing God’s work; this outfit is everythingggg-the Oscar de la Renta dress is probably my favourite thus far. Like we’re talking angel, but make it fitted and sexy, and I hope you read that in the Tyra Banks voice I intended because 2 memes in a row would rob me of any credibility I’m building as a fashion account and I’m not ready to trash that for bad memes just yet; give it a couple of mental breakdowns and I’ll be there. Natalie Portman’s look was a favourite of mine too, with the cape over the top adding a sophisticated touch to the celestial, slightly bohemian feel of the dress. I initially found the detail of the names embroidered into said cape to be quite moving-in a dream world, directing would be my career of choice and so I really admired the statement-but finding out that Portman herself is the only director hired by her own production company ruined that for me a little bit. Then again, multi-millionaire celebrities making performative gestures for good publicity and not doing all that much to make any real change? Colour me shocked.

(L-R: Beanie Feldstein in Miu Miu, Brie Larson in Celine and Billie Eilish in Chanel)

Now, of all the Miu Miu looks so far, I think Beanie Feldstein definitely got the best one. The intricacy of the embroidery, the silhouette, the old Hollywood stye curls-it’s all so graceful. I’d say this is probably her best look of awards season and she and her stylist did a really great job.

And as for Billie Eilish...Guys...do you think she might be wearing...Chanel...by any chance? I’m not sure.

Seriously though, as far as an oversized tweed suit with the brand’s logo emblazoned all over it goes, I like this look. The acid green roots and the jewellery are what make it for me, adding to the grunginess of the outfit which is interesting against Chanel’s prim and proper aesthetic of the last few years. I know she has good reason for the way she dresses, but I’ve never quite been able to appreciate it-this outfit proves to me that her style doesn't automatically equal ugly and occasionally, she can make it work.

(L-R: Leona Lewis, Colton Haynes, Dita von Teese)

Elton John’s Oscars afterparty being the less exciting of the two big ones in terms of fashion-the other being the Vanity Fair afterparty which I’ll cover in a moment-I thought I’d whizz through it (posturing aside though, I bet Sir Elton’s party was a lot more fun).

(L-R: Chiara Ferragni, Donatella Versace, Bella Thorne)

This is a big statement considering Alexa Demie attended, but I think Chiara’s outfit and overall styling might be my favourite of the partygoers; if they decided to do a live action Barbie film in 2020 minus the PG ratio-because lets be real, she’d be a noughties Paris Hilton type and get up to some SHENANIGANS-this is the look that would become iconic. 

(L-R: Ashley Greene in Off-White, Alexa Demie, Sydney Sweeney, Annalynne McCord)

It was a hard decision to make though: I’m just as into Sydney Sweeney’s interpretation of burlesque come 1950s red carpet Barbie, Ashley Greene’s surprisingly delicate Off-White number, and Alexa’s dress and (as always) impeccable styling. That being said, Chiara’s clearest contender here for the best dressed of the night is Annalynne McCord. I know I'm one to throw similes around but she looks like an ACTUAL Disney princess-the dress is magical and an absolutely flawless fit. She carries it with such grace. I'm truly in love.

(L-R: Tessa Thompson in Versace, Vanessa Hudgens in Vera Wang, SZA)

As for the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty, there were SO many iconic moments this year. SZA was the definition of the fire emoji, Tessa Thompson’s throwback Versace was the mermaid’s take on BDSM fashion I never knew I need to see, and I’d die to turn up to my graduation ceremony (here’s hoping for a successful attempt at the old uni shebang this time, lol) looking as elegant and simultaneously extra as Vanessa Hudgens did in Vera Wang. I mean, this was before Vanessa went on her dumb Instagram live corona rant because she was upset she couldn’t go to Coachella and I still kinda lived for her, mostly because of moments like this. She’s always been the queen of channelling a more hedonistic, carefree era and this dress is the most refined example of that boho decadence yet. It sounds dramatic to say but the rich purple is such a bold choice considering it’s a a colour we rarely see on the red carpet but now I’ve seen eggplant coloured silk I need it, lol. 

(L-R: Suki Waterhouse in Fendi, Lili Reinhart in Marc Jacobs, Lucy Boynton and Margaret Qualley in Chanel)

Then there was Suki, Lilly, Lucy and Margaret as well who all went full angel mode in some of my favourite runway looks of last summer’s haute couture week; Suki’s Fendi dress and Lili’s Marc Jacobs number were highlights of both their shows and there’s something even more magical about them both when the uniformity of the runway is removed. I also would go on about how much I love Lucy Boynton’s style for the millionth time but I think you get my point.

(L-R: Nicole Richie, Cynthia Erivo, Hunter Schafer, Billie Porter)

The more I look at the photos I saved from the Vanity Fair “red” carpet, the more I come to the firm conclusion that these looks are my favourite as a collective. Along with the elegance and sex appeal of the outfits above, we’ve got all these looks too which are so VIBRANT and fun and experimental. Billie Porter is absolutely majestic and continues his reign as the king of in-your-face, theatrical red carpet style, and Hunter and Cynthia look so radiant. Whilst Nicole’s look isn’t as colourful, she still brought drama with the satin gloves and the smoke lined eyes, and she is definitely ready to step on someone’s neck here.

(L-R: Halima Aden, Ella Balinska in Schiaparelli, Emma Roberts, Ciara)

(L-R: Kiki Layne in Michael Kors, Kim Kardashian in Alexander McQueen, Kylie Jenner in Ralph and Russo, Lashana Lynch in Michael Kors)

(L-R: Rowan Blanchard in Iris van Herpen, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Stella Maxwell, and Sarah Paulson with Holland Taylor)

I’ve got to say, it’s really cool to see Rowan Blanchard in Iris van Herpen too; it’s interesting that as far as I know, she and Joey King were the only ones to wear her this awards season, both being up and coming actresses. It would be a good choice for the brand, probably best known for its futuristic, conceptual aesthetic, to also focus its PR efforts on the young potential inheriting that future. Orrrr it could just be that Rowan, Joey and I have the same (good, lol) taste-not gonna lie, from my experience of stalking her instagram Rowan Blanchard does make some unique fashion choices and her feed is full of bold outfit inspiration.

(L-R: Adriana Lima in Ralph and Russo, Alessandra Ambrosio in Armani, Billie Eilish in Gucci, and Donatella Versace in Versace)

Then there’s Billie Eilish, who is really on another level. This is her second custom made baggy suit of the night, this time Gucci. IMAGINE. Chanel and Gucci making custom pieces to suit your very specific style. Again, though, I really like this; whilst it’s very clearly a Billie outfit, it’s got a level of sophistication, cohesiveness and glamour to it that takes it to that I can admire. 

(L-R: Camila Mendes in Moschino, Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse, and Chiara Ferragni)

Honestly, the Vanity Fair red carpet really belonged to young talent this year, and Camila Mendes in one of my favourite Moschino looks from the Picasso collection really seals it. She could’ve just gone for a basic pretty dress-this isn’t a natural choice-but she really does have the proud, regal look of a woman who knows some man is gonna paint her a portrait that will end up in a famous gallery one day. 

One last thing before I move on, though. How the fuck does Chiara Ferragni get everywhere?! And by that I don’t mean how does she get invited, I had the shock of finding out this woman I followed on Instagram because I liked her outfits and thought she was pretty is a hugely successful businesswoman in Italy long ago. Power to her. She’s a big deal! I get it! I just mean, physically HOW? How do you hit Elton John’s party AND the Vanity Fair party in one night and look this good? God really does have favourites, huh. Well, I guess in this hypothetical scenario where I believe in him anyway. 

The SAG Awards

(L-R: Dakota Fanning in Valentino, Kaitlyn Dever in Ralph Lauren, Scarlett Johansson in Armani, and Zoe Kravitz in Oscar de la Renta)

So, I kinda forgot the SAG awards existed and thought that my post was basically finished before I looked in my folder and saw the one dedicated to this ceremony. My initial reaction was like “oh, this is the shitty Oscars, right?” and I assumed the red carpet would be shit and that I could call it a night-it’s 3:30am, I wish I was calling it a night-but then I looked and saw that I had even more outfit photos saved in that folder than I did for my Oscar dedicated one. Because fuck, I want to to sleep, but the SAG awards had a surprisingly good turn out?! So maybe not as irrelevant a ceremony as I thought? Because Dakota Fanning turned up looking like some divine mythical being again, Scarlett Johansson pulled another incredible look out the bag, Zoe Kravitz was a modernised Audrey Hepburn, and Kaitlyn Dever read my comments about her dress being “timelessly pretty” and said “bitch, you really thought” before showing up looking hot as fuck. Truth be told, I think the SAG awards were first but in this universe where Kaitlyn Dever would pay any attention to my opinion of her outfit do we really care? 

(L-R: America Ferrera, Andrew Scott in Azzaro Couture, Camila Mendes in Ralph and Russo, Caleb McLaughlin )

(L-R: Lupita Nyongo in Louis Vuitton, Lily Allen, Nathalie Emmanuel in Miu Miu, Cynthia Erivo in Schiaparelli)

See, I was going to make a comment above how I took back what I said about Camila Mendes not just going for pretty dresses (which I guess I just did here instead-JUST TO BE CLEAR SHE STILL LOOKS STUNNING) and then I uploaded the next photo set and got distracted by 2 things:

1. How weird it is that British legend Lily Allen, who does not get NEAR enough credit for her smart her songs were might I add, is dating David Harbour AKA. Hopper off Stranger Things!?

2. How mad I still am about Game of Thrones and how dirty the writers did Nathalie Emmanuel (and Emilia Clarke and Lena Heady and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and basically everyone else on that show but that’s another story).

In this same universe where Kaitlyn Dever cares about my opinion can we make the issues I have in the last bullet point not exist? Please?

(L-R: Sophie Turner in Louis Vuitton, Renee Zellweger in Maison Margiela, Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Armani, and Renee Bargh)

(L-R: Gwendoline Christie in Rick Owens, Madeline Brewer in Monique Lhuillier, Kathryn Newton in Valentino, and Lili Reinhart in Miu Miu)

Finishing off the SAG looks, we’ve got the four above. 

Once again, Kathryn Newton was Valentino’s blushing crown jewell; Allie Pressman hate aside, she really is the perfect dressing up doll for the brand. Fresh faced and poised, she has all the elegance and gentle femininity necessary to make floating down the runway as Valentino models do look natural, and Lili Reinhart did an equally good job being a Miu Miu girl. She makes that idiosyncratic cutesy-ness work, all the frills and fragility of a china tea set look easy where I’d just look like I’d been consumed by a charity shop doily. Madeline Brewer did a good job too, helping a Monique Lhuillier design pop in a way that it doesn’t usually. When your hair is bright red and your dress cerulean blue, coral tinted lipstick is a *ahem* choice, buuut in this case it paid off because the result is a look which demanded my attention-ML dresses are reliably pretty, however, they tend to be predictable. Madeline and her styling did a good job subverting that formula. To end the section, though, I feel it’s only fair to save my fave woman til last-probably one of the few people in the world that isn’t a Rick Owens model that can pull off his designs. Ofc, I’m talking about the queen that is Gwendoline Christie. If we’re talking embodying brands, she did justice like nobody else could to the spectacle of Owens’ formidable, out-of-this-world aesthetic. This is her version of the princess moment, and when you’re as striking as she is, nothing less would do. 

At least my girl Brienne of Tarth is thriving<3

The Grammys

(L-R: Ariana Grande in Giambattista Valli, Cardi B in Mugler, and Pia Mia in Julien Macdonald)

TBH, like I said with the Brits, I never planned to do any music award ceremony red carpets, just because I feel like the fashion tends to be more geared towards a younger audience buuuut I’m kinda glad I changed because Ariana looks INCREDIBLE. MESMERISING. TRANSCENDENT. JFC. There’s a reason the photo of her on her Wiki page has been changed to one from this night and it’s because she looks absolutely exquisite, like some kind of moon goddess with an R&B touch which I suppose is kind of her brand? Sometimes I go kind of lukewarm on Giambattista Valli and forget how mystical but at the same time frothy and indulgent and all around luxurious the pieces can be. This is a cupcake of a dress and I want to eat it. Cardi B has become a bit of an unexpected fashion icon and Pia Mia looks as hot-party-girl as ever but I feel to put anyone next to Ariana in this dress seems harsh because she just completely stole the show and I don’t even know if she won any Grammys.

(L-R: Josephine Relli, Gwen Stefani, Jameela Jamil in Georges Chakra, and Chrissy Teigen in Yanina Couture)

Other than Ariana, I’m not gonna lie, there was nothing wildly exciting, BUT I did think there were some beautiful colours out on the runway-plus for all her occasionally bad takes I really like what Jameela Jamil stands for and her style has always been very quirky cool. The electric blue tiled effect with the black mesh underneath kinda reminds me of a peacock, and contrasts wonderfully with the carpet-it’s very reminiscent of her T4 days. She’s one of those people that seems to get aggression directed at her that’s completely disproportionate to whatever it is she’s supposed to have done; sometimes the way she goes about saying things is wrong but the intention behind what she’s saying is usually good. Then again, the internet still despises Chrissy Teigen (in a way that’s kind of excessive considering what we seem to collectively let some people get away with) for a dumb AirPods tweet and I’ve included her too. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT, this time anyway. I just think she looks good!

If I’m going to get controversial about anything, it’ll be Gwen Stefani. She looks stunning, the dress is stunning, and the boots are stunning. The outfit is not my problem! My problem is how she seems not to have aged at all. This woman is 50 years old! That she drank the blood of her Harajuku girls is the only explanation here. Can you imagine if she tried to pull that shit today? She’d get rightly accused of being a culturally appropriating weeb in about 10 seconds flat and we’d have to pretend to stop liking Cool and Hollaback Girl. 

(L-R: Finneas O’Connell in Gucci, Lucky Daye, and Shaun Ross)

(L-R: Tess Holliday, Dua Lipa in Alexander Wang, Tyler the Creator, and Grace Elizabeth in Giuseppe di Morabito)

Back to what I’m supposed to be talking about in this blog post: the fashion. And here, most importantly, Tyler the Creator looking like a cast member of the Grand Budapest Hotel. IDK why. But I love this man.

(L-R: Lil Nas X in Versace, Lizzo in Versace, and Shawn Mendes in Louis Vuitton)

(L-R: Billie Porter, FKA Twigs in Ed Marler, and Swae Lee in Giuseppe Zanotti)

See in general, the men were a lot more interesting on the Grammys red carpet. With the exception of Twigs, Dua and obviously Ariana, the men’s outfits are a lot more memorable; Billie Porter became the most fashionable meme on the internet, for god’s sake. And even when their outfits weren’t extravagant, they were just more interesting, imo, which is a rare occurrence. I didn’t expect Finneas O’Connell to be the writing half of Billie Eilish (the other half being Billie herself) I cared about and yet, in that Gucci blazer, here we are. 

(L-R: Jessie J, Hailee Steinfeld, and Madison Beer)

(L-R: H.E.R, Usher, FKA Twigs, and Matt Shultz)

Of the afterparty looks, my favourites are what we can see of these more casual outfits-I love what F.K.A Twigs and H.E.R are wearing, the headscarf with the leatherjacket on top is in particular very throwback rockabilly, and I’m even into whatever it is Usher’s got on.

(L-R: Olivia O’Brien, Amine, and Alrissa)

(L-R: Salem Mitchell, Machine Gun Kelly, and Sydney Sweeney)

Now, how to round this all up!? How to relate the confusingly persistent but very welcome presence of Sydney Sweeney on, like, ALL these red carpets back to the MET!?

IDEK. It’s been a long year. 

The Met Gala has usually come and gone before we know it, but with everything going on, it’s been the longest January-May I think most of us have ever known. I keep going on about COVID-19 in all my posts now but I have almost forgotten how to write an intro and outro because the pandemic is pretty much consistently on the brain and unless I have something right in front of me to use as a distraction, my mind tends to wander off into a very anxious place. I think, like many others, I feel frustrated and disappointed and angry with the way the situation is being handled by the people who are supposed to protect their citizens, and by how much of a fight some are putting up against measures that are in place to try and save lives. The point of this ramble, I guess, is that whilst we should never forget what’s going on and do the best we can to help prevent the spread of the virus, it’s okay to still care about mundane shit. Was this post one big long distraction for me? Probably. But if there’s something harmless you can do to keep your anxiety at bay, don’t feel bad for doing it. Contrary to popular belief, you can care about more than one thing at once. You can be sad that something you were looking forward to has been cancelled whilst still being sad for the people who are suffering because they’ve lost love ones or who have been forced into precarious living conditions. If talking about clothes on the internet is going to help you get through this pandemic, power to you.

If anyone has read til the end, thank you! I hope you are well! As always, feel free to reply to the post or inbox me with your thoughts! It doesn’t even have to be related to this post. If you’re struggling with everything going on, feel free to reach out too. I spend too much time on the internet anyway, lol! My plans are to finish my fashion week reviews and then I have a Lana Del Rey albums inspired lookbook which I pinched off the stans on Twitter (who I will of course credit when I write it!). For the time being, look after yourselves!

Lauren x

[wolf-555-writer]

Heating Up Part 1

So... something else for you guys. I took a little pause from writing the Alex Danvers story and came up with this as I also love Caitlin Snow from The Flash :). 

I assumed some stuff about how to control Caitlin’s powers. Hope you don’t mind... 

Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost x Meta Reader

Summary: Reader is a metahuman and can control heat. Team Flash is in need of your help as Caitlin can't control her powers anymore and is on the loose as Killer Frost.

Word Count: 2,187

“Have you found her?” Barry asks while nervously pacing around in the cortex.

“Can you please stop”, Cisco answers, rather annoyed by Barry. “You asked the same question, like, seconds ago. Nothing has changed since.”

“I just want to know where she is, okay?”

“We all want to know where she is”, Cisco reacts, gaze fixed on the screen. The blue light shining on his face.

“Wait… what do we do when we’ve found her?”, Iris asks perceptively, watching over Cisco’s shoulder, following his every move. “What do you mean?”, Barry replies, looking at Iris confused.

“Well… she’s not Caitlin anymore as she-”. Iris is interrupted by Cisco who quickly lifted his head up and is now staring at Barry. “No, she’s Killer Frost”, as he vividly remembers the vibe he had about Caitlin. Fighting in the dark, misty woods, not being able to reach her anymore, only left with Killer Frost.

“Maybe we need to find a solution beforehand, you know, to turn her back to our Caitlin Snow”, Cisco presents because he definitely doesn’t want his vibe to come true.

“So, what do you suggest, Cisco?” Barry asks, placing himself next to Cisco and finally standing still.  

“Well, what do we need to defrost Frost…”, Cisco teases with a slight grin, one eyebrow lifted, and adding an intentional pause. Because he already knows the answer to his own question.

Seeing his eyes widen, now locked with Cisco’s Barry answers, “Heat!”, as if an imaginary lightbulb suddenly turned on above his head. 

“Indeed, we need heat. Cotrolled heat.”

///

Busy with cleaning the fire truck spotless, you see two guys, kinda nerdy looking, walk into the fire station, gazing around as if they’re lost. One of your colleagues walks up to them. You can’t hear what they’re discussing but suddenly you notice your fellow firefighter point in your direction. Wait a minute- He’s pointing at you.

What would they need from me? They don’t look like law enforcement or something… While you’re occupied thinking about what the reason could be, the two guys are already calling you by name.

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N)?”, the one with the long, black hair asks.

“Yes, that’s me”, you respond. Ceasing the cleaning task, you smoothly jump down from the large fire truck. “What can I do for you?”

“Are you a metahuman that can control the vibration velocity of molecules, or better said: control heat?”, he demands out of the blue. Then the other guy quickly swoops in because your face starts to radiate confusion and plain anger. 

I mean, that’s kind of a personal question...

“My name is Barry Allen and this is Cisco Ramon. I apologize for his inappropriate question”, the other guy eases, now frowning at his partner, apparently named Cisco. “I work as a CSI at the CCPD and we’ve come to a conclusion that you are indeed a metahuman”. You stare silently at the two guys while Cisco whispers something at Barry like -that's exactly what I said-, scowling at him and making a hand gesture.

How the hell do they know this and why do they even want to know? you think, simultaneously trying to come up with a proper response.

“What gave you the indication that, as you just so subtly said, I am a metahuman who can influence temperature?”, you ask them, staring into their eyes stone-cold. Kinda proud of your smart counter question, you casually lean against the glistening fire truck with one arm.

“You were in Central City when the STAR labs explosion happened, right?”

“Yes I was. I was working”, you confirm, still in the dark about the purpose of their visit, now in an intimidating pose with your arms crossed and shoulders squared. When you discovered your powers you surely made some mistakes in the beginning, but those were minor accidents, nothing serious. You quickly had them under control and only used them occasionally at your job. I mean, it does come in handy sometimes. However, you stay careful as of course not the whole world needs to know.

“Well, we have noticed-”. Barry cannot finish his sentence because he is being interrupted by Cisco. They clearly do not see eye to eye on what questions to ask.

What do they even want from me? From my powers?

Watching them fight like a married couple, you hear an alarm go off. A loud noise echoing through the entire station and red lights flashing brightly. You quickly react out of instinct as you need to move out, responding to the call. You hop into the fire truck while putting on all the gear and declare relieved: “Sorry guys, duty calls!”. They silently stare at you with their mouths wide open watching you drive away with the rest of your team, leaving them behind, unable to ask what they really came for.

///

Finally… the long-lasting shift is over. Walking away from the station towards your car, truly exhausted, you bite down in a crunchy red apple. You taste the sweet, juicy flavour, lastly able to eat after the busy day you had. It’s already dark, seeing the moon shine bright. Arriving at the car, keys in hand, you notice a piece of paper on the windshield. Picking it up, now holding the note as suddenly The Flash appears in front of the car. You can’t see his face clearly because the street light he’s standing underneath is broken. He starts to speak with a distorted voice. “I need your help, (Y/N)”.

How does he know my name? you think, staring at him in silence, frowning and still holding the paper in your right hand. He continues while you chew and swallow the remaining apple chunks left in your mouth. 

So it appears The Flash needs your help. He actually needs your powers to be exact. A friend of his is in serious danger. If you want to help him you need to come to the address described on the note. You tilt your head down and read what’s on the piece of paper. By the time you look up again The Flash is gone, feeling a mild breeze as he vanished. Because helping people is in your blood, you don’t hesitate. The Flash asked for my help, that’s not some opportunity I get everyday. Unlocking the door, you hop into the car and start the engine. “Let’s go to STAR Labs”, you announce as you hit the gas pedal forcefully with your right foot while gradually releasing the clutch with your left, driving off with screeching tires.

///

Arriving at the STAR Labs building, you gaze at the damaged structures. It doesn’t nearly resemble the shiny, new, high-tech building it was before the explosion. Not knowing where to go, you just casually walk inside, no security or whatever. After wandering around in the hallways, you eventually hear faint voices in the distance and start to follow the noise. Suddenly all eyes promptly turn to you, shocked expressions on their faces as you were standing there a couple of seconds in silence. The Flash is not wearing his mask, probably didn’t expect you so soon. You can see who it is. It’s the guy that visited you at work today. 

It’s Barry Allen.

“Wait- What the hell... it’s you”, you exclaim, completely startled. “Okay, I’m out”, you continue since you’re still furious about their inappropriate questions and unsolicited visit at the fire station today. They crossed a line there. You’ve had enough of this weirdness and start to walk away as suddenly The Flash, aka Barry Allen, abruptly appears in front of you. “Wait, just hear me out”, he expresses with credible remorse in his eyes. Apparently they’re in desperate need of your help?

The guy with the long black hair, Cisco, starts to explain how their friend Caitlin Snow cannot control her powers anymore and is on the loose. With the help of your ‘heat’ powers you can counteract Killer Frost’s ‘cold’ powers and turn her back into Caitlin again. Or at least... they think you can. You definitely want to help them, compelled by their story, but you don’t know if this will work. “I mean… I ‘ve never used my powers on a real person before...”  

///

It’s dark outside. The little light that is shining is coming from the bright, white full moon as it’s a clear night. You’re currently in the cold, foggy woods, panting because you’re running, fast. Cisco had found the location of Killer Frost, you don’t exactly know how, probably something to do with his powers that you do not completely understand yet. In the distance you see them, Barry and Cisco, as all of a sudden a shockwave of cold air hits you right in the face. Or call them by their superhero names, Flash and Vibe, who are currently getting their asses kicked by Killer Frost. You’re scared and feel your heartbeat pounding in your chest. Adrenaline rushing through your veins. You notice Cisco taking cover behind a broad tree, seeing the woman with hair as white as snow shooting ice shards at him, piercing the thick bark in the end. They’re talking- no, screaming at each other.

“Caitlin! This isn’t you! Stop!”

“Caitlin is no more, my name is Killer Frost!” she furiously answers while rapidly throwing icy fragments his way.

What if I hurt her? They’ll never forgive me for that, because Caitlin means so much to them. Can I do this?

The help you received from Cisco during your training at STAR Labs did give you some confidence. But it’s not the same, now that you actually have to do this in a real-life, and death, situation.

It cannot wait any longer as the circumstances are escalating quickly. The fight between them is rapidly heating up. No- wait- cooling down? The Flash has now reached Caitlin’s alter-ego, Killer Frost. But he harshly collides with the dirty, forest soil due to the layer of slippery ice that appeared underneath his feet, induced by KF’s cold powers. She aggressively stabs him with a sharp icicle in the leg, making him scream in agony while reaching for his shin. He can’t get away. Cisco is still pinned down behind the tree. You have to act, like right now, preventing a fatal outcome.

Sprinting towards her, you covertly roll over, making an evasive maneuver. You grab her. Arms wrapped around her tight. Closing your eyes and highly concentrating on your powers. You feel heat radiating through your body. You feel it all around you, completely under your control. Contracting your arm muscles extensively since it takes some strength to restrain Killer Frost, who’s now brutally screaming to release her. But you’ve completely blocked out every single sound that is hearable. You block yourself from everything. Clear minded, only focusing on the temperature around you. Controlling it. At a given moment you don’t feel her resisting anymore. 

Did- did I… kill her?

When you cautiously open your eyes you see someone with gorgeous brown hair, very very close to you. Her eye colour not silver-white anymore, but beautiful, hazel brown and sparkling. So... this is Caitlin Snow? You’ve become speechless while you’re still holding her tight. She looks into your lost, dreamy eyes, confused, because she doesn’t know who you are and especially why your arms are wrapped around her so strongly.

“Hi- can you maybe please let me go?”, she asks with a soft whispering voice. With her question she snapped you out of your distracted state and you awkwardly answer: “Yeah… eh… sorry, I-I …”. Relaxing your arms and freeing Caitlin, you stop in the middle of the sentence while you watch her staring at her friends in utter guilt. She did this. She hurt them badly. The smirk that had appeared on your face quickly disappears. Cisco swiftly jumps up from behind the damaged tree and rushes towards you two as he noticed the situation is safe. Barry, who’s still in excruciating pain, has removed the sharp object from his leg and the wound is already healing as we speak, perks of having speed-healing powers. Standing there awkwardly, not knowing what to do since you have done your part, you watch Cisco hug Caitlin.

“You’re back again”, he relaxes his breath. Caitlin stutters. “I-I’m… so sorry guys…”, her eyes becoming watery and looking at Barry, who’s still lying on the muddy ground in pain. He sits up. 

“It’s okay, Caitlin. We’re just glad that you’re okay, thanks to (Y/N)”, he mentions while they all turn their heads in your direction, making you slightly blush. Gratitude overflowing as this feeling is new to you. Honestly, saving people is kind of an everyday business for you. But this, this feels different. Hoping you can pursue these kinds of ‘superhero matters’ more often in the future, you stand there. A warmth rippling through your body, not because of your meta powers. It’s caused by the charming woman you saved today, curious what will happen between you two, as it slightly feels like you’ve found your counterpart. Literally. ‘Heat’ and ‘Cold’, opposites belonging together. 

Continue with part 2

[chungledown-bimothy]

Trust Me: Chapter 5

Hello again! I know it’s been a while- things got crazy with the holidays and my birthday, but things are calm now. Here we go!

Chapter One Chapter 4 AO3 Chapter 6

Warnings: mentions of violence, descriptions of torture

Word Count: 1865

Tag List: @ren-allen @ccecode @emo-sanders-sides-loving-unicorn @ilovemygaydad @bloodropsblog @funsizedgremlin @raygelkitty @roxiefox23 @thomasthesandersengine @spookyingarbageisland @band-be-boss-blog

Virgil made his way to Dr Vincent Nigel-Murray's lab with a bad feeling in his gut. He hadn't been able to meet with the pathologist about the first victim, as the doctor had left town suddenly shortly after Virgil arrived. But he was back, and it was time Virgil met the man he'd heard so much about.

"Doctor Nigel-Murray?" He knocked on the doorframe, peering into the lab. "Are you here?"

"Ah! Yes! You must be Detective Mason, yeah?" Virgil wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but a 6-foot-tall Brit with dark hair and startling blue eyes who was practically bouncing with excitement was not it.

"Yep, that's me. Nice to meet you, doctor."

"Please, call me Vincent. Or Nigel. I also go by Vin, Vinnie, Vincenzo, any of those. My ex used to call me Vino Delectable."

"I'll stick with Vincent. And you can call me Virgil."

"A lovely name! Did you know that the famed Roman poet Virgil was homosexual and included erotic homosexual themes in two of his famed Eclogues?"

"I, um, didn't know that. Why would you bring that up? Have people been talking about me, gossiping about the gay new guy? I thought San Francisco was going to be better than this." Virgil narrowed his eyes, preparing for the worst.

"You're gay? I did not know that. What a coincidence! Fun fact-  in 2017, it was estimated that 8.2% of Millennials identify as LGBT+."

"You didn't know? Then what's with all the facts?"

"Facts are the stitches that hold the fabric of the universe together. I apologize if I'm being annoying; I've been told it's a rather bad habit." Vincent looked down and put his hands in his pockets; Virgil relaxed, suddenly understanding.

"It's an anxiety thing, right? Things get overwhelming sometimes, but facts are grounding."

"That is exactly right! If I may ask, how could you tell so quickly? Almost everyone gets there eventually, but it's only been a matter of minutes."

"I was one of the FBI's best profilers. Also, I do the same thing with sarcasm and hostility."

"It truly is a pleasure to meet you, Virgil. Now, follow me, I have two bodies with stories I think you'll want to hear."

Virgil followed the doctor into his lab. He was no stranger to morgues and autopsied bodies, but he could never get over the weird feeling in his gut when they were rolled out of the cooler. As always, he ignored the feeling and followed Dr Nigel-Murray to the first body.

"This is Orin Scrivello, the first victim. You can see the ligature marks on his wrists and ankles, and the scabbing indicates that he was tied up for quite some time and struggled a lot. This is just conjecture, but I'd wager it happened while the killer was inflicting these wounds." He pointed to the deep cuts on his legs and chest.

"Those look really deep. Cause of death?"

"You'd think, but no. The killer stayed clear of any major veins and arteries."

"So what's cause of death?"

"Blood loss."

"You literally just said-"

"He didn't bleed out through any of these wounds; he's got a single slice right along his brachial artery."

"Do we know what was used to cut him up?"

"Standard kitchen knife. Dime a dozen, available anywhere knives are sold."

"Great. Anything else interesting?"

"A couple of things. First, there were signs of dehydration, but not malnutrition."

"Any idea on how long they had him?"

"About two weeks, probably."

"The killer kept him fed while they tortured him for two weeks? Why would someone do that?" Virgil muttered. "The second interesting thing?"

"Particulates indicate that he was held in a warehouse. Nothing more specific than that, unfortunately; the killer did a really good job of covering their tracks."

"Just not good enough. Okay, let's talk about the second vic?"

"Indeed. Kyle Ren. Just finished his autopsy, in fact."

"Cool. Okay, let's start with what's the same between the two."

"Same ligature marks, although it appears that the killer kept him longer; I'd say closer to three weeks. He was also dehydrated but not malnourished. He was also tortured, but very differently."

"How different?"

"Orin had a relatively few, deep cuts. Kyle's arms are covered with dozens of shallow cuts.  Obviously, he was hit in the fact repeatedly, and the killer removed some of the flesh on his chest. Two rectangles, one on each pectoral."

"That's so weird. There was no flesh removal on Orin?"

"Nope."

"What was going on in this guy's head? Anyway, what are these on his thighs?"

"Electrical burns."

"So the killer cut, beat, and electrocuted him, sliced part of his chest off, and finally strangled him while also keeping him fed?"

"That's consistent with what I've found, yes."

"This guy is smart, angry, and escalating. Damn it. Okay, thanks, Vincent."

"My pleasure, Virgil. Hopefully we'll see each other again under better circumstances?"

"Maybe. By the way, and you really don't have to answer, but how did you decide you wanted to be a coroner?"

"Oh, it's quite the story. I was studying to be a forensic anthropologist in DC, and I got shot by a serial killer we were closing in on. I survived, obviously, and when I recovered… I don't know. Flesh and blood was a lot more interesting. So I finished my anthropology doctorate and went back for pathology."

"That's nuts. I'm glad you made it, and even more glad you're out here. You're a cool guy, Vincent. I gotta go talk to Kyle's next of kin. It was great meeting you."

"You too!"

--------

"Mason!" Virgil flinched when his captain's voice echoed through the bullpen. He took a deep breath before answering the summons.

"Yes, sir?" He asked once he reached Captain Sanders' office.

"Come in, it's time we talk about the case."

"Yes, sir." Virgil took a seat in one of the chairs across from Sanders' desk before continuing. "I met with the second victim's parents today- they confirmed the killer's assertion that he was a fascist. The pieces of flesh removed had swastika and Confederate flag tattoos. Apparently his grandfather was a high-ranking officer in the German military in World War 2. The victim was very vocal about his beliefs online; we have a tech team looking into his online interactions for potential suspects."

"Good. Now, tell me about the killer."

"He's wicked smart and almost certainly has a medical background. He's what we call mission-oriented, and his mission is vengeance. He's detail-oriented and covers his tracks well, but I don't think he has a criminal background before these kills."

"Killers usually do. Why not him?"

"How he treats the bodies after killing them. The things he did to his victims before killing them were violent and messy, but he cleaned them up and covered them carefully with leaves like a blanket. Yes, the cleaning served the purpose of eliminating most of the particulate evidence, but the clean clothes in the right size shows an extra step of care. He also kept the victims well-fed. He wanted them healthy, aside from the torture. It may seem illogical, but he has very high empathy. He punishes his victims because he genuinely cares about people.

Once he's punished them as he sees fit, they're human again, and deserving of respect and care. The violence is tied to the victim's crimes or sins, however he chooses to label them. Our killer isn't violent or malicious outside of the conditions that triggered the killings; he's probably perceived in his community as perfectly normal. Not creepy like Dahmer or manipulative like Bundy. Just an average person. He's probably lived in the area a long time, if not his entire life, and has a stable, long-term job."

"Sounds like he's going to be hard to catch. What's with the puzzle pieces, though?"

"He will make a mistake sooner, rather than later. The puzzle pieces are a taunt, daring us to solve the puzzle of who he is. He wants our attention, he wants to prove that he's smarter than we are. And that's what's going to hang him. He sees himself as an avenging angel, but he's just an Icarus."

"How does that help us catch him?"

"Honestly, sir, I'm still working on that part. I want to consult some papers from an old colleague before I add any more details to my official preliminary profile. I have a few ideas, but he was always better with mission-oriented killers than I am. I know it isn't the answer you want, but I learned the hard way how dangerous jumping to conclusions can be when dealing with someone like this."

"Mason…" Sanders started, softly.

"With all due respect, captain, don't start with that. I'm fine. I just want to make sure we do this by the book. Like you said on my first day- 'we can't let this become another Zodiac fiasco'."

"I can't say I like you using my exact words against me, but your work has been above reproach. I'm officially declaring this case yours and yours alone- I won't pressure you to partner up anymore. Just keep me in the loop okay?"

"Of course. Thank you, sir."

"You've earned it. Now shoo, you've got more important things to do than sit here with me."

"Okay." Virgil chuckled as he stood up and left.

---

"Patton don't do this. It's not a good idea. You don't know who this guy is, how much of a threat he might pose to us and our work."

"You do realize you sound just like them, right, Logan? Thinking you know best, trying to tell me what I can and can't do because of how it might affect you instead of thinking about what I want and need."

"That's not fair. You know that I love you, and they never loved either of us. I want you to stay safe; I can't protect you if I don't know who you're associating with."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to protect me any more? I know you mean well, but you have to trust me. You said yourself that I'm better with people than you are." Patton paused. "This isn't about protecting me at all, is it? It's about how you know that without me, you're alone. You have nothing without me, and you can't handle that."

"I… you're right. I need you, Patton." Logan admitted, falling to his knees.

Patton reached down and cupped Logan's face with their hands, tilting his face up. "Logan, you are and always will be the most important thing in my life. But I can't shake the feeling that getting to know him could change everything in the best way."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about, but I'll trust your instincts. I love you, Pat."

"I love you too, Logan. Thank you." Patton walked to their room, leaving Logan on his knees in the living room, alone with his thoughts.

Patton's right; this date changes everything. If we are deviating from the pattern in favor of indulging other desires, well, I would be a fool to let this opportunity pass.

[junker-town]

Why the Raptors’ defense is built to stop the Warriors

The Warriors have never faced a defense like this, and it’s showing.

TORONTO — After a Game 1 loss in which his team’s offense was completely flummoxed in half-court situations, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was asked to stack Toronto’s defense against all others they’ve faced in their five runs to the NBA Finals. In the aftermath of defeat, Kerr wasn’t able to pinpoint an exact pecking order, but the way he ended the quote spoke volumes.

“They’re very long and athletic. They’re tough, they get after you and they play well together. They got a lot of versatility,” Kerr said. “I think they’re actually a lot like our team.”

Kerr was acknowledging that his current foe’s fundamental traits are the exact same ones his own team unleashed on an unsuspecting NBA half a decade ago. This is why Toronto’s defense is more grueling than any other the Warriors have faced in 19 playoff series heading into this one.

According to subscription stat site Cleaning the Glass, Golden State had only faced a top-five regular-season defense four times in five years before the Raptors. (One of those four was the 2016-17 Spurs, who did not have Kawhi Leonard after the first half of Game 1.) By contrast, Golden State has squared up against 10 teams ranked in the bottom half of regular-season defensive efficiency that season. The Raptors ranked fifth in defensive efficiency this season and third since acquiring Marc Gasol at the trade deadline.

As we’ve seen over the past six weeks, the playoffs are a different animal from the regular season. Matchups matter. Effort, intelligence, awareness, and length are requirements. An ability and willingness to adjust on the fly is critical.

Unlike almost every defensive strategy and/or personnel group the Warriors have incinerated in their path, these Raptors are uniquely built to stand without withering. They are flexible enough to find a schematic answer for just about any question posed by the defending champs.Toronto can play big or small lineups. They can trap and live in chaos, or stay rigid by switching screens and helping off non-shooters. Its collective athleticism transcends positions.

Most importantly, the Raptors understand as much as anyone that versatility is not a luxury, it’s a mandate. Adapt or die. Team president Masai Ujiri chose the former, and now they are, in many ways, the best defense Golden State has ever faced in the playoffs.

Other opponents have made the Warriors reach deep inside themselves to discover a new gear. The 2015 Memphis Grizzlies came in with a top-three defense that held Golden State to 104.4 points per 100 possessions over six games, their worst output to date in any playoff series. But Memphis’s shield splintered when Kerr famously shifted center Andrew Bogut onto guard Tony Allen, allowing the Warriors to prevail thanks to their own defense. The 2016 Oklahoma City Thunder moped through 82 games with an average defense before unleashing an army of arms in a classic seven-game series, but the Warriors loosened up their size advantage by closing game 5, 6, and 7 with their Death Lineup featuring Draymond Green at center

The 2016-17 Utah Jazz were also a top-three outfit, but Rudy Gobert didn’t let them shapeshift out of their doomed base identity and the Warriors swept them. The 2017-18 Houston Rockets executed a disciplined switch-everything game-plan, but fell short because their own attack evaporated.

The main difference between all these teams and Toronto is that there’s no obvious move Kerr can make that will force the Raptors to scramble for a solution that doesn’t exist. Nick Nurse spent his first regular season as Raptors coach experimenting with different rotations and combinations, familiarizing his team with randomness because they were smart and talented enough to accept it. Roles were defined, but not in any way that rejected defensive ingenuity.

The end result was that the Raptors are positionally overwhelming, with enough size to stare down the mighty Philadelphia 76ers and enough speed to erase the collection of three-point shooters the Milwaukee Bucks used to terrorize the league all season. They’ve played big men Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Pascal Siakam at the same time. Even without sturdy forward OG Anunoby, they have enough depth on the wing and in their backcourt to put Siakam at center and seamlessly switch every screen. (Nurse hasn’t played that card much this year, but did close Game 1 with Siakam, Leonard, Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, and Danny Green on the floor.)

So many players on this team can guard up or down from their natural position, be it Lowry and Green defending forwards as well as quick guards, or Siakam and Leonard doing the inverse. Nobody’s usefulness is restricted to one side of the ball, either. When forced to rotate more than they’d like, or even switch in areas that create uncomfortable matchups, length becomes their best friend. (Toronto averages a playoff-high 14.4 deflections per game.)

When someone breaks them down on the perimeter, help comes quick and fierce. Ball-handlers who think they’re about to reach pay dirt are politely instructed to guess again.

Draymond Green tried to force an early switch by screening Fred VanVleet off Stephen Curry in the backcourt. The Raps responded by trapping Curry and giving Green a lane to the basket, usually a recipe for disaster. But Lowry, who has somehow never made an All-Defensive team, stepped in off Andre Iguodala to draw a key foul. Lowry has drawn more charges in these playoffs than every team except the Warriors.

Versatility helps, sure, but so does feel. The Raptors have an intellectual advantage that allows them to gamble without much risk. They think fast, but the more methodical the game, the better off they are.

“There are so many things going on that are more instinctual probably than they are some unbelievable design,” Nurse said. “So, yeah, we always say know your personnel and if there’s a problem, try to go fix it.”

“I think they’re actually a lot like our team.” -Steve Kerr

Heading into the Finals, the Raptors allowed a playoff-low 85.8 points per 100 possessions in half-court situations. The Milwaukee Bucks’ offense averaged 100.3 points per 100 possessions in half-court situations during the regular season, trailing only the Warriors and Rockets. In the conference finals, the Raptors held them to 84 per 100 possessions in those situations. Golden State won’t win this series unless it’s played in the open floor.

“The challenge effort-wise first starts with transition. We have to try to make them play against our five-man defense because then we think we’re pretty OK,” Nurse said. “We have a good chance to at least for a starting point be able to guard them the way we want to. That was the same way in Milwaukee. It was really like, come on, let’s make them play against our set defense.”

The Raptors have an unimpeachably accomplished crew: Three Defensive Player of the Year awards, 10 All-Defensive teams (none of which are accounted for by Lowry or Siakam), and zero weak points that stick out like sore thumbs. Gasol was the biggest question mark in this particular matchup, because Curry would force him to defend in space. Gasol was beat off the bounce a couple times, but held his own plenty.

“To me, more than the talent defensively, and physically, athletically, it’s more the mindset, ‘OK, now we’re gonna get a stop, and we’re gonna need to do that multiple times,’” Gasol told me when I asked him to compare these Raptors to the Grit ‘N Grind Grizzlies. ”It’s not X’s and O’s, things that coach will tell us where to be.”

Every Gasol step has purpose. He recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of all five opponents, and channels that information in a way that always puts him in the right place at the right time.

Here he was doubling Thompson in the post because he knew the shot clock was winding down and Jordan Bell, his man, a threat. By the time the Warriors swing the ball to Green, Gasol was back in front of Bell for the interception. This wasn’t the fastest you’ll see an NBA player move, but Gasol’s lack of hesitation allowed him to cover more ground than someone with his speed ever should.

“[I] think there’s always a sort of kind of comfort when [Gasol] is on the floor with us,” Siakam said.

Toronto’s defense isn’t tied down to any one personality. As a whole, it floats from one character to the next. It’s always on the same page, with each possessing unteachable anticipation that makes it seem like they exist 10 seconds in the future. Toronto contests every shot—opponents have made a playoff-low 30.2 percent of their non-corner threes—with the confidence of a world beater.

Even with Kevin Durant set to return at some point in the series and DeMarcus Cousins possibly fit to earn more minutes, the Raptors have the bodies to make life miserable for an offense that isn’t used to sweating. No defense will ever fully shut the Warriors down but if any has ever been constructed to make them look human, it’s Toronto’s.

[fuckyeahbadcodocs]

Name: Mira 'Paws' Cole

As callsigns go, I don’t think Paws is half bad. It’s not as grandiose as some that stumble through this door, not edgy and hardcore... It sounds like the kind of nonsense a military faction would hand down to the new kid.

Appearance: Height- 5"9. 

There is a desperate need for more lady OCs who are not like 5′2″ every time. I can at least salute the creator for this...

Weight- 134. 

...And a sensible weight for someone in the military! A little googling tells me this BMI is in the normal range, if on the smaller side. No one has to give this OC a sandwich for her to run out and kick some tail.

Eye color- Emerald green. 

Mmm, unlike my fellow mods, I don’t think using specific descriptors for eyes is a dealbreaker or special snowflake. There’s a lot of shades of green out there. However, I would maybe pick something other than a precious gem to describe a character’s eye color. It’s become a bit of a dead horse at this point.

Hair color- Dark brown.

So far, everything is really good, very low-key. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop to explain why the hell this OC is doing on this page.

Where she serves- U.S. Army Ranger

Recent as it may be, women are slowly entering the ranks of the Rangers through the school, if not actually able to serve in its ranks. Assuming some level of research was put into what it would take for a female OC to break ground like this, we might be onto something.

Now, if you’re all prepared, the other shoe drops... now.

Position- Hired medic/Assassin

Well, medic OCs are old hat at this point, but as long as there’s real research and a plot, I’m not totally opposed to someone examining a side of canon that isn’t totally defined by missions and frontline action--

Wait.

A medic’s first rule is to do no harm... and she is an assassin. Does anyone else see the glaring lack of fundamental understanding of how the military works in that statement, or just me? I’m sure at some point in history or another, a killer has used the disguise of a medical personnel to get closer to a target, but that’s not exactly military standard, not in this day and age.

For that matter, why is the US Army hiring assassins when they have some of the most elite fighting forces on the planet? Any one of Ramirez’s team could easily take up a sniper rifle and hang out for a few hours waiting for a good shot. The Army does not need assassins in the classical sense. It would be much more sensible if this OC was freelance, PIC, or maybe even part of a CIA that is far darker than the average Modern Warfare civilian accounts for.

But for your baseline US Army attache, this is going well over the line. It renders basically all past praise I put upon the OCs design nearly moot. I can’t even imagine what an international DISASTER it would be if an American medic was outed as a professional, government-sanctioned assassin. It would change the face of warfare, totally flip centuries of regulations about medics and their role on its head. Everything would just go to absolute shit if people trusted to heal and stay out of trouble came out as paid professional killers operating with their government’s blessing. 

You can make an OC interesting without relying on secret identities or shocking swerves, or defying basic military roles that leave little hope for a character being an assassin.

History: Mira had never thought she could go to war-and at least experince anything, But now she's been sent over to work as a medic. She'll meet anyone and (oddly) enough; everyone. 

The Rangers, Shepherd, Allen, these are characters I can understand an OC rubbing elbows with, given the game and faction in question. Maybe even  a brush with Team Metal, if you want to broach MW3 and the fact both Rangers and Delta fought against the Russian invasion on the East Coast. Everyone, though? That’s pushing it. The 141 and the Rangers are never anywhere near each other in game proper to allow for meeting ‘everyone.’

Is Mira surprised? Kind of. Sure she has some crushes on certian people. But this is war, not the love boat. 

As opposed to OC/Canon shipping as many people are, so long as it’s not the focal point and overshadowing a much more interesting plot... I personally see no problem with mentioning a character might be interested in someone else. Especially if it’s buffered with the fact ‘hey there’s a war going on, let’s not worry about our alleged sexual tension and instead focus on not. fucking. dying.’

None of this excuses the walking International Shitshow Waiting To Happen, but it’s a surprising touch.

She also earned the name nickname 'Paws', from the wolf paws tatooed and her back, and two small ones on the back of her neck.

That’s not usually how callsign assignments work, it’s usually more of a callback to a memorable incident or a personality trait. 

For pure hypotheticals, let’s say Soap once slid off of something during training, or is very thorough about ‘cleaning’ out a room when on ops. Either of these things might lead to teammates alluding to him as ‘Soap,’ either due to his slippery fuck up, or his sheer ‘cleaning’ power. It’s not like teammates looked at Soap’s haircut and just decided ‘You’re Mohawk now.’ There’s more to callsigns and military culture than that.

Personality: Mira is a kind, gentle, and calm soul. But if somthing goes wrong; she; like Dunn would freak out just the same. 

For both of her preposterous careers, staying cool is a part of the job description. 

A medic has to know how to perform under intense pressure, when the lives of their patients are on the line, sometimes in the middle of a firefight. The military medic career is not one you want to freak out in. 

Assassins must master the art of planning -- entrance, loadout, the exact moment they take down the target, and an exit strategy. They have to be veritable ghosts, leaving no trace of themselves, and with the patience to wait sometimes days for one brief moment and then a quick way out. A freak out at any stage of an assassination is a surefire bullet in the chest at best and a trip to a black site in your target’s home country at worst.

Also if shes meant to be calm why the hell would she freak out when a plan goes to shit? Why does everything about this OC oppose prior information?

She has an affectionate side, but tends not to use it. Theres moments where she can be totally awkward.

Why? Why any of that? I know I harp on explanations in just about every review I do, but I’m just really passionate about OC creators explaining to their audience how and why things work. Personality traits existing at odds with one another are a good reason to have explanations in your profile. If this OC is kind and gentle, why hide her affectionate side? Is she perhaps uncomfortable with overt displays of affection, while still being super sweet and kind to people? Is there a disconnect between her professional personality and her off-duty persona?

Hell if I know, that’s all that’s said for me to analyze.

Also, how awkward are we talking here? ‘My mouth sometimes moves faster than my brain’ awkward, or ‘I was apparently raised in a cave and have no understanding of several normal every day things’ awkward? Much like there are many different shades of green, there are many different flavors of awkward. 

Secrets: Mira is a So-Called 'Assassin', as she describes herself, but is labled as a Sniper by others(As she states during Modern Warfare) but tends to lie when someone questions her. 

A sniper is not an assassin in the classical sense. A sniper is a part of many military teams, and is in fact basic in certain circumstances. A sniper is a legitimate specialist and would never cross over with medical corps.

A lone sniper might well be an assassin, but a sniper on a military team is usually just that: a sniper. Not an assassin, sure as hell not a medic, but definitely a person who is good at waiting, communicating with their spotter, and shooting OpFor as needed.

This might come as a shock, but I don’t think this OC makes much sense, guys.

On that note, why the hell is she in the original Modern Warfare? The American faction in COD4 was the Marines, not Rangers.

She comes to the Army Rangers (In Modern Wafare 2) posing as a Medic, but still serves as a Sniper, she them keeps her position as an Assassin in Modern Warfare 3, where she is seperated and is now on the hunt for Vladimir Makarov.

If she ‘comes to’ the Rangers in MW2, who was she with originally in MW? Was she supposed to be a freelance assassin that the US Army looked at and said ‘good enough for us?’ I really don’t get this bit, I’m sincerely confused by the sequence of events now.

As for MW3... That’s just poor writing and we all know it. The implication Ramirez and company are out taking the Kremlin, and this OC gets separated from the real party. I’m offended for her.

Other: She hates the way anyone treats attack dogs, she has a way to avoid being attacked by them. In this case, she carries treats to throw them off. Even the most vicious dog can be strayed away when confronted by Mira.

No. No, actually, they can’t. These dogs are broken and remade into fur-covered death machines that exist only to destroy whatever they are pointed at. There is nothing you can do to ‘stray’ them, let along with treats. Maybe if you throw them fresher meat than you, but otherwise I have no idea what would even come close to swaying a legitimate dog of war. They would eat her alive, brutally, and then turn their attention to the other Rangers.

Gory, yes. True, also yes. Attack dogs are not misunderstood babies anymore. They are straight up gone, redesigned to do nothing but kill whoever their kennel master sics them on. Kill or be killed is the only way to deal with an enemy attack dog in the middle of battle. Now excuse me, I have to go hug my own dog for a little bit.

Family: Both her parents died when she was 14, but she made friends with a kid named Chuck Seasons *Aka Chef* and the two became friends and have stayed that way ever since.

Let me guess, a member of this creators OC cadre? Did making friends with this kid cure the ache that is losing both of your parents and being made an orphan as a young teenager?

Animal Companions: Mira owns a black German Shepherd named 'Coach', after her famed basketball coach during middle school.

I’m not sure about this one, but I think this Coach guy’s parents really wanted him to be a coach.

So anyway, Mod M would like to posit this question: Why is it that the best/most down to earth designs always end up being tied to brain-breakingly out of touch with the real world OCs? For that matter, why am I always the one left holding the flaming bag that is these ocs?

[junker-town]

Which NBA player will score 60 points next? Here’s who you guessed.

Only eight players have scored 60 points since the 2000-01 season. It’s really hard! Here are the players we think have a chance.

Since the 2000-01 season, only eight players have scored 60 points or more in a game, and 13 total instances. Most recently it was Devin Booker, who scored 70 points last year. The rest of the list: Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant six times, Gilbert Arenas, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Klay Thompson.

We’ve seen random role players like Terrance Ross, Corey Brewer and Andre Miller pop off for 50-point games. That’s a beloved happenstance, when players we never would have expected break an elite scoring plateau. But players like that don’t score 60. Scoring 60 is hard. You saw the list in the first paragraph: you’re either a Hall of Fame lock or pure scorer prone to heating up in extreme ways. (Miss you, Agent Zero.)

Who will be the next player to score 60? I love hypotheticals like this, because it can so easily blend fan bias and actual expectations as we examine the players who best fit the 60-point mold. We posed the question on our Twitter.

Only 8 players have scored 60+ points since 2000. With that in mind, who will be the next player to drop 60? Go.

— SB Nation NBA (@SBNationNBA) December 8, 2017

Here were your answers.

Kyrie Irving

http://pic.twitter.com/4mxYS8r1sF

— Matt Eldridge (@meazy12) December 8, 2017

kyrie

— james farro (@jamesfarro1) December 8, 2017

Kyrie will do it this year. https://t.co/97T7F1dMRf

— James (@JamesLUFC) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: I believe this is the most likely option of them all. The Boston Celtics are a great team, but they’re great because of their defense. Offensively, Kyrie Irving still runs a one-man show. He has fantastic complementary pieces around him, and Al Horford can create some shots if you need him to, but it’s mostly Irving.

One of these games, Irving will start hot and just keep on shooting. The opponent will stay home on Boston’s shooters, and it’ll give Irving easy driving lanes to the rim. He’ll heat up from behind the arc in the second half, and before you know it, he’ll have 60. Irving has prior games of 55 and 57, so this seems reasonable. — Tim Cato

James Harden

Harden

— Walter Hopkins (@WalterJHopkins) December 8, 2017

James Harden. Also with a triple double. https://t.co/Ejj54XzT6f

— Victor Roque (@vicalmadroq) December 8, 2017

james harden

— local me (@olanderic) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: Harden scored 56 points in one of the most impossibly efficient games I’ve ever seen earlier this year. Harden is naturally efficient — he only took 25 shots that game. If he had taken 30, he would have had 60-plus points. One of these days, he’s bound to shoot a little more often, with the same efficiency, and break the 60-point plateau when it seems like he’s hardly even trying. I have Irving’s chances slightly above his, but Harden’s not far off. — Tim Cato

Kemba Walker

Sleeper pick: Kemba Walker https://t.co/Yh9LkIDhzV

— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) December 8, 2017

Kemba Walker

— courtney kennedy (@KennedyCourtney) December 8, 2017

KEMBA. https://t.co/g7duC37fHM

— At The Hive (@At_The_Hive) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: As Prada notes, this is an excellent sleeper pick. Walker’s career high is 52 points, but his increasingly good three-point shot gives him a chance to heat up, inferno level, one game. It also helps that Charlotte relies on him so heavily, and that the Hornets rarely blow opponents out, so Walker will have plenty of chances. — Tim Cato

Damian Lillard

@Dame_Lillard https://t.co/KrxIj0zKda

— Chad Butler (@butlerchad) December 9, 2017

dame https://t.co/yGhr54iAF3

— Ashwin Harimohan (@ash_win10) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: If Gilbert Arenas can get 60 points, so can Lillard. Someone photoshop their heads onto that Spiderman meme, where the two Spidermans are pointing at each other. (OK, they’re not the exact same player, but you see some similarities, right?) — Tim Cato

DeMarcus Cousins

Boogieeee https://t.co/2mlP1gJnmX

— Josh Gaines (@_JAGaines) December 9, 2017

Boogie

— SactownBabyGiraffe (@TimMaxwell22) December 8, 2017

Boogie tonight on his former team #kings https://t.co/TQTPEvZlIl

— Matt VanNatta (@mattv5) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: It did not happen against his former team, despite Matt’s best guess. Cousins did have 38 points in that game, however. In an increasingly small league, Cousins is the exception. He could find a certain matchup where he bullies his way for a dozen cheap points off put backs, while hitting six threes or so. He’s be two-thirds of the way there already — just get him 20 more points somewhere else.

It might need to happen in a game where Anthony Davis is out, or another team where Cousins is once again the lead scorer. Still, it’s certainly plausible. — Tim Cato

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid will have a 60 point game this season.

— Justin Gardner (@StatTheProcess) December 8, 2017

Embiid https://t.co/NR7UfYD3IO

— iciiik™ (@His33k) December 8, 2017

Embiid

— jolly em ️iist ⛄️ (@joel_embiist) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: I like this answer, even if Cousins has a slightly better chance of scoring 60 before Embiid does. But the way Embiid would be like his preseason debut this year, when he scored 22 points in 15 minutes. In that game against Brooklyn, Embiid was simply much large than any defender that the Nets had. He went to the line 18 times, and once those fouls start adding up and backups are having to test Embiid, things could get real ugly.

I think the rest of Embiid’s game is still a few years off from putting together this many points in a single outing, but you never know. — Tim Cato

Devin Booker

D Booker https://t.co/IEFJRWA6au

— Nate Phelps (@ThePhelpsy_) December 9, 2017

Devin Booker https://t.co/nSy73R4Nb1

— Bruno Fernando Enthusiast (@ATVS_JakeNazar) December 8, 2017

Maybe Booker or at some point Mitchell from the jazz

— Brian Knutson (@briank24708) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: By now, you’ve probably figured out this list started in order but now is just a free-for-all. Booker would be quite a bit higher if we were actually trying to rank these in order. He has done it once, and he’s on a team that has nothing to lose. One hot half, with 30 points or so, and Phoenix will spend the final 24 minutes trying to get him the record. Why not? — Tim Cato

Klay Thompson

Klay.

— BOBSLED (@ThatRobertPiece) December 9, 2017

Klay

— Catey (@cateyxdubs) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: Thompson is another already-done-it on this list. He scored his first 60-pointer while holding the ball for just 90 seconds, which almost seems like an impossible stat but is very real. Basically, Thompson is always a threat to explode, and nothing special even needs to happen. He just needs a few open shots and it’s all over. — Tim Cato

Kevin Durant

Durant

— AM (@everlastingitch) December 8, 2017

Durant https://t.co/WiSzqSNklK

— Chris Bernucca (@ChrisBernucca) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: Like Curry below, Durant’s career-high is just 54 and his chances are now limited by the Warriors’ excellence. They blow out too many teams, and have too many mouths to feed, to make a singular scoring explosion this large that likely. — Tim Cato

Stephen Curry

Curry https://t.co/Fah4AIKRNr

— S.Zagury (@Sammzag) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: Curry is probably going to go down as the greatest shooter of all time. That fact alone makes a fairly strong case for the Warriors’ superstar point guard. Though he hasn’t had a 50 point game since February of 2016, he’s had so many flurries stopped short because the Warriors are so dominant. It’s going to take a close game against a dominant scoring team like, say, the Rockets to get it done. And I can see it coming this season. — Michael Sykes

Bradley Beal

Oladipo or Bradley Beal

— Ben Sternberg (@BenShachen) December 9, 2017

Bradley Beal https://t.co/5ZZGokST1I

— Grunfeld (@falckovitch93) December 8, 2017

Bradley Beal https://t.co/QwTj1H2Mrf

— Michael Sykes, II (@MikeDSykes) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: Over the last season and change, Bradley Beal has become one of the NBA’s elite scorers. He’s had six 40 point games over that span including his 51 point outburst against the Trail Blazers this season.

When things get tough for the Wizards, they know they can rely on Beal as a scorer. It’ll take a close game and, maybe, a shot attempt total hitting the mid-to-high 30s, but he can get the job done. — Michael Sykes

Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell

— Mimz (@the_1st_mimzee) December 8, 2017

The amazing @spidadmitchell

— Matt Davis (@MattNotHipster) December 8, 2017

My easy guess is James Harden, My out there guess is Donavan Mitchell

— NBA Hoops Online (@NBABoards) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: I don’t know. I know Mitchell scored 41 points the other night, but 60 is a lot more than 41. This seems a bit premature, but I still got as many answers for Mitchell as any other player. — Tim Cato

Victor Oladipo

Oladipo or Bradley Beal

— Ben Sternberg (@BenShachen) December 9, 2017

How it would happen: Victor Oladipo has been unleashed in Indiana. He also just spent a year with Russell Westbrook so he has an idea of how to take over a game himself. He’ll get hot from behind the arc and then the Pacers are such an unselfish team they’ll just feed him all night. — Whitney Medworth

Kristaps Porzingis

Kristaps porzingis

— Mypark Playa (@wweecwwcwtnanba) December 8, 2017

Porzingis

— Igor (@_lgor) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: On this year’s Knicks team, Porzingis could easily take 35 shots in a random game. That’s doable. — Tim Cato

Lance Stephenson!

@StephensonLance https://t.co/dwTlkT4kOP

— Cable (@zach_cable23) December 9, 2017

How it would happen: Whitney

Picture a late regular season game in April. Playoff standings are already set for both teams, so nothing is at stake. Lance Stephenson plays 48 minutes, never passes the ball once, scores 60 points. — Whitney Medworth

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis

— Greg Nog (@gwiss) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: I’m surprised only one person answered it Antetokounmpo. I know his lack of three-point shooting makes it more difficult, but Antetokounmpo is also big enough to go to the line 25 times under the right circumstances.

Kobe Bryant

kobe

— Tim Cato (@tim_cato) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: The most Kobe Bryant thing ever would be to come back for one game, score 60 points, and then retire again. You hadn’t thought of it, but man, now you’re convinced it’s going to happen. I’m certainly convinced it’s going to happen.

The only correct answer

Dirk in his final game. No doubt.

— Phillip McDaniel (@philp_mcd) December 8, 2017

How it would happen: There are many good answers here. This is the only correct one. Thank you, Phillip, and please come to the front to collect your prize.