#and of course there are like a dozen other characters with the same power origin

[chzdavmpr]

Been rewatching Alien Force, and for a show where the climax of the first main plot is the main character saying "Believing you are superior because of genetics not only destroys others but also yourself" it was an odd choice to retcon* 2/3 main characters into getting their powers from their genetics.

*kevin technically didn't have his powers explained previously so it's not really a contradiction, but it's still a new explanation that makes his powers purely from his genes.

[prokopetz]

I apologise if you've already answered this, but I tried searching your blog and I'm unsure if you haven't or if it's another example of Tumblr's amazing search system.

I was talking with a friend recently about how much of a culture clash the Monk Class is compared to the rest of Dungeons & Dragons and was wondering if there is a coherent reason for their original inclusion. I'm aware that they're largely influenced by Shaolin monks as depicted in Hong Kong cinema in the 70's/80's as compared to the Sword and Sorcery stuff most of the rest of D&D takes influence from.

Basically, my question ultimately boils down to, "Is the Monk Class there purely because of an original player wanting to rule of cool their way into playing something wildly out of genre, or is there a stronger link between Sword and Sorcery and Hong Kong cinema that could have organically resulted in the Monk Class joining the rest of the classes?"

A lot of the link between the two was simply a matter of time and place. The kung fu craze hit North America at just about exactly the same time as the sword and sorcery revival that gave us films like Clash of the Titans and Beastmaster and The Sword and the Sorcerer and Dragonslayer and Krull – not to mention the Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan adaptation, which revived popular interest in first-wave sword and sorcery literature – so there was a lot of it going around. Analysis of early Dungeons & Dragons as a product of its media influences often overlooks that it was largely drawing on what was trendy in American popular media in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Even the tonally incongruous Lord of the Rings references weren't a deep cut; while the books were originally published in the 1950s, they'd experienced a strong resurgence in the 1970s, putting them firmly in the popular consciousness at the time that D&D was being developed. All this being the case, it's not surprising that early D&D was also substantially influenced by Hong Kong action cinema.

That said, the reason the monk character class in particular (i.e., as opposed to kung fu media influences more generally) is there is allegedly because one specific guy in one of the game's early playtest groups really, really wanted to play as Remo Williams from Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir's The Destroyer; several of the class's signature abilities are direct references to powers Williams exhibits in the course of the novels. Remarks from folks who worked at TSR at the time have pointed the finger at Brian Blume as the Remo Williams fan in question, though accounts are conflicted whether Blume was actually an uncredited contributor to Dave Arneson's Blackmoor (1975), in which the class makes its first proper appearance, or whether Blume's interest merely prompted its inclusion.

This is the case for the character archetypes in a lot tabletop RPGs of that era; instead of trying to work out what classes "ought" be be present, authors would simply start with the types of characters their playtesters actually wanted to play, often based on specific popular media characters, then work backwards to derive an IC rationale for why those were the setting's standard adventuring professions. Other examples from D&D in particular most obviously include the Ranger (based on Tolkien's Aragon, naturally), but also the Paladin (principally inspired by Holger Carlsen from Poul Anderson's 1961 isekai novel Three Hearts and Three Lions, also the source of D&D's goofy regenerating trolls), the Assassin, back when it was still a separate character class (probably mainly based on the Assassin Caste from John Norman's Gor), and even the Wizard to a large extent (less Gandalf than you'd think: a large portion of D&D's iconic wizard spell list is lifted directly from the 1963 Vincent Price film The Raven).

(I often think that modern indie RPGs could benefit from reviving this approach. Like, fuck textual consistency – just pick half a dozen of your favourite popular media characters without regard for the compatibility of the source material and work backwards to explain why these six random assholes are your game's playable archetypes!)

[vroomvroomwee]

Aziraphale's vest

I'd like to take a second and talk about his vest because I think it's a really good metaphor for Aziraphale's internal feelings.

At first glance it's obvious the vest is quite old. Really old in fact if you note the way it's practically disintegrating.

And it got me thinking a bit. The way the white practically bleeds from the edges of the neck, shoulders and buttons, going further and further, one day if he's persistent enough to wear it, it might even take over the entire vest. You could say that that, somehow, mirrors Heavens influence over Aziraphale. Slowly, slowly, biding their time, until it has completely ridden him of any colour. Until it has completely washed him of his identity, of his originality, of his character.

Take a look at his clothing when he's up in Heaven.

Completely and utterly white. Every piece of clothing he's wearing is pure and untarnished white. Upon entering Heaven, against his own accord, it has stripped him of his uniqueness, of anything that might distinguish him from any other angel who blindly follows orders and who's sole purpose is to do Heavens bidding.

Now, he could miracle the white patches on the vest away easily. But he doesn't want to.

The thing is. He likes the imperfect. He likes partaking in human activities and pleasures, like food, music, etc. Likes to indulge himself in earthly things Heaven would label as sinful or "sullying." And as someone who bas been on the receiving end of Heavens ridicule and passive aggression for millenia, as someone who for centuries has been told that he's underperforming and needs to do better, as someone who is all too aware of his own impurity by the standards an angel should hold and of the quite frankly unholy behaviour in performing immoral temptations and directly going against Heavens orders no more than a few times throughout the eras, it's no wonder he finds comfort in the imperfect.

He keeps the deteriorating edges because they are a perfect representation of his own internal feelings and image. After all, there's no rule that says he can't. And a big kudos to the costume department, for the patches perfectly encapsulate his religious trauma. Without it, he would probably be a very different person. He wouldn't be the same Aziraphale we know and love. The same way he likes being old-fashioned with his clothes and how that is a part of who he is, his trauma is a part of him as well, along with Heavens influence that has shaped him into who he is today, whether he likes it or not.

Every part of the vest illustrates Aziraphale's character and internal feelings, which brings me to another point I want to draw attention to, and that is the BACK of the vest.

It's DARK. And I don't think I'm mistaken when I say that most of us didn't expect it to look like that from behind. We all just assumed that it would be the same beige colour as the front, which is in tune with the rest of his attire. After all, seeing him wearing a dozen different outfits all throughout history, all of them some shade of white, it was the logical conclusion.

But no.

It's not white. It's a dark, slightly viridian or a dark blue colour. "Dark blue suggests a more mysterious depth or ominous quality. Power and authority: Dark blue signifies power and responsibility. "

Not what we would have expected that colour at all. Similarly to how one wouldn't expect an angel to perform temptations or be gluttonous, or envious, or slothful, or hedonistic. Not at first glance anyway.

Not unless you look carefully.

Not unless you know him.

The coat almost acts like a cover. The light over the dark. Almost as if it's trying to hide something. The only times we see Aziraphale not wearing the coat is in his bookshop. Which is logical, of course. You wouldn't wear a coat indoors, obviously. Except he DOES. He wears the coat when he and Crowley are drunk, he wears it when he's reading Agnes Nutter, he wears it when Gabriel and Sandalphon pop in, he wears it when he's talking to the Metatron, he wears it when he's listening to Shostakovich, he even wears it at the Ritz where it would be custom to take off your coat while dining. And it's worth noting that during the events happening (at least in the first season), the season is summer. Which would make it quite ridiculous to be wearing so many layers everywhere you go and therefore risk boiling. But he still wears the coat.

The only times he doesn't wear it is in the first episode after the sushi, when he's all ALONE, and in season 2 at the bookshop when Crowley comes back and in 1941.

And there's something oh so personal about that.

I don't think it's a coincidence that the darker part is specifically the back of the vest. There's always been this natural human instinct to protect yourself by never ever turning your back on a foe. And I don't think this is a conscious effort on Aziraphale's part, but rather genius writing, directing and costume design, and anyone who's watched and read Good Omens knows that almost nothing is coincidental.

Note this is probably the first time Aziraphale has called Crowley his friend, seeing how uncertain and doubtful he was to even say the word in this scene and how quick he was to deny their friendship in the Shakespeare scene. And the camera immediately cuts from Crowley to Aziraphale, who is turned away, whose back is turned to Crowley oh so casually without a care in the world. Just before he calls him his friend. His back is turned, and so is the dark part of his vest.

The dark part he only shows in his bookshop, when he's alone and there's no one there. The part that he now only shows to Crowley as well. Crowley who knows him so well and who's been with him through everything. "I won't tell anyone if you won't." And "you said trust me""and you did". Just this small motion of Aziraphale depicts exactly how much trust he has in Crowley not only that he'll keep him safe and protected but to accept him just as he is, to not judge him, to not demean him for his imperfections as an angel. Practically mirroring Crowley's self-protection mechanism that is reflected in his motions to hide his eyes with his sunglasses (there's a wonderful meta on this by @simply-brightly-zee here )

And it might just be clothing, or it might just be genius symbolism, but note how self-aware Aziraphale is of his looks when Gabriel pops up.

The desire to impress is almost unconscious in this scene, and how does he go about doing it? By making sure he looks presentable. Presentable, despite the white patches and the vest that is falling apart, he doesn't even realise it. Therefore, it's clear Aziraphale puts thought into his clothes, whether consciously or unconsciously.

I personally dont think any of this (the coat, the patches, the way he turns his back, when, where and around who he's most comfortable) is a deliberate and intentional act on Aziraphales part but rather creative brilliance from the directors and producers. So him being shown to expose the back of the vest only in scenes with Crowley (and the one in s2 infront of an amnesiac Gabriel with the intelligence and awareness of a squirrel) is a master move on the costume department's part. The symbolusm being so small and imperceptible, but holding so much meaning. This small metaphor shows how much Aziraphale trusts Crowley and how comfortable he is around him. Crowley who knows about Aziraphale's transgressions, sins, unholy behaviours, lack of interest and dedication to his job, and overall "incompetence" as Aziraphale might put it and how he's "just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing". Crowley, who will accept him and love him no matter what. Not despite those things, but because of those things.

They have found their "own side".

Edit: Not that important, but I just want to mention how, despite being tattered and falling apart, the vest is still in perfectly good condition. No matter the white seeping in and draining its colour, the vest doesn't have a single seam torn, not a button lost, perfect as the day it was bought. No matter what it's been put through, it's still kicking, whether by miracle or sheer willpower. Very much like the person wearing it.

[caricabubamarica]

Since I’ve discovered Lego Ninjago at the ripe age of seven, the biggest fantasy of mine has always been to be one of the ninja on the team, fighting alongside the core four and dealing with Serpentine and so on. When I was a little girl, the only way I could satisfy the urge was to use my imagination.

So when the Covid 19 hit back in 2020, and I discovered Wattpad for the first time in my life, it was as if I had entered a whole new world based off of the imagination of other people all across the world. I was spending days and nights on it until there was nothing worth reading for me.

Back in 2022, I finally decided to catch up on the show, seeing it pop up on my Netflix account and decided to give it a go. Before so, I had developed a habit of reading dozens of fan fictions about the show I was at the moment hooked onto, so once I finished watching all of the Ninjago seasons, I went through any fan fiction on Wattpad that I could find regarding Ninjago x reader/original character and quickly noticed a pattern that made me grow bored of whatever book I was reading rather quickly.

Every single fan fiction, save for few rare ones, had the main character be an elemental master of darkness/destruction.

Every. Single. One.

Now at first, I thought the issue stemmed from the fact that there was an obvious lack of originality and uniqueness, but it actually originated from the fact that every story had the exact same storyline, and I mean the exact same one.

The main character would be an elemental master of darkness/destruction and because the elemental powers are inherited, the character is obviously the child of Lord Garmadon and a sibling of Lloyd. Of course, let’s not forget that the character has extreme protectiveness over Lloyd and despises their mother with concerning levels of rage. They are always stubborn and a badass character who never does no wrong and is always in the right and somehow knows exactly what is going to happen but still messes up so the plot can continue as it originally does.

They are also, obviously, the fifth ninja who also possesses a golden weapon of their own, which is usually the most useless thing to ever exist. During the Season 2: Legacy of the Green Ninja, they are in most cases turned to the bad side because their power is unbeatable but it is then somehow beatable because the plot obviously has to move on. Not to mention, they are the only ninja who can use their elemental powers without the golden weapons because they are just that good.

I can guarantee that if anyone goes to Wattpad right now and tries to find a longer Ninjago book with the character insert, they would find at least few books who resemble this exact description. Why? Because the idea of a character, other than Garmadon, who is an elemental master of darkness and destruction is a great plot and idea for the character in Ninjago realm, but none of them actually think outside the box when it comes to actually executing it.

For example, when they write the character to be the fifth ninja and the fifth protector of the fifth golden weapon and the prophesied green savior, why don’t they write about the fact that the element of darkness and destruction is the toughest for Lloyd to master because he refuses to become like his father and because the element itself takes a toll on the mind of the one who possesses it?

Or why don’t they write about the fact that the reason the Ninjago realm is not perfect is because the First Spinjitzu Master used the element of destruction to create something, only for it to come back to bite him in the ass?

Why don’t they give the character the arc of trying to master their elemental power after Lloyd gives each of the ninja a piece of his golden power in Season 3: Rebooted, only for them to go down the wrong path?

Why don’t they write about the inner conflict the child of Lord Garmadon who inherited his elemental powers would have when they see that what others call a gift, in their case it is called a curse? Why don’t they expand on the feelings of envy the child would feel towards Lloyd for being praised and cherished for his destiny while they are looked down on for their own?

There is so many different possibilities to that plot device and yet I have yet to see someone do it properly.

I apologize if this offends anyone but it has been bugging me for three years now and I had to write it down somewhere where I could hear different opinions about it. I am not trying to shame anyone on their work or anything, if that is what you want to write, go for it, I am a nobody with no life who is still hung up on a kids show that aired back in 2011.

Enjoy what you want, love what you want, and take this how you want. Luv ya!

[masamasaibk]

🪐💫Planet Keeper AU💫🪐

Because I have been asked to make an explanatory post here >:)

"Planet Keeper" is an Inazuma Eleven alternate universe that I have created. I am not sure it will be the official title of it, but that's what I'm calling it for now.

I have not posted anything "official", only drawings, some threads, and strawpage answers. I have the whole story thought through, but I would like, ultimately, to draw it as a comic. The problem is I currently lack the skills necessary to draw such a thing, so this is why I'm making small illustrations of the characters quite often (also because I love them very very much, they are my babies and I would die for every single one of them) and little comic practices.

What is it about?

As I said, it is an IE / IE GO AU, which is kind of a weird mix between Sci-Fi and Fantasy? Or maybe just space fantasy? It features

The Main Crew™: Ibuki, Shindou, "Kariya" (his name is Aitor), Kirino, Tenma, Tsurugi, and adult Midorikawa and Hiroto

Secondary main characters: Endou, Kazemaru, Kidou, Gouenji (adults)

There are many ships explored there, such as, of course, Munetaku, Ranmasa, Kyoten, Hiromido, but also Enkaze, and an unofficial maybe polycule Kazemaru-Endou-Kidou-Gouenji relationship

The universe

In this AU, the characters are from 3 different civilizations:

The Inazuma Civilization. They live either on their home planet, or in the Inazuma Space Station, which is a quite recent station that was built a few dozen years before the story takes place. In this civilization, people are more scientifically "advanced", but also have some specific abilities, like being able to "breathe" and float in space, and being able to turn magical energy into other types of energy. They get their energy to power the station by collecting stardust and star shards, which are very highly concentrated in magical energy. Some of them have some kind of magical abilities too, which are specific to each individuals.

The First Orbit: the closest objects orbiting around Inazuma 11. Inazuma Eleven is the 11th star that was discovered and named by the Inazuma Civilisation. It is believed that the two civilizations were linked before, hence why they use the same name for the star, but they have long since lost contact. (The First Orbit only remembers "legends" about the Inazuma Space Station; maybe they had common ancesters, maybe they are from the same place, or maybe these things are story that the elders invented and that don't exist at all, who knows?)

Inazuma 11 is a turquoise dwarf star. It is very bright from the Inazuma Space Station because it is the closest star from there, but they don't really care about it. They think it's so tiny and surrounded by such an amount of planetary embryos and just... "space rubbles" that it can not be hosting any life form in its solar system. They are wrong, though, because there is life. The First Orbit is composed of a lot of tiny planets very close to each other. It is quite chaotic: they don't all spin at the same speed, some of them are so close that their atmospheres are merged, other are not. But a whole civilisation lives there, able to communicate and go from planet to planet. It is a peaceful civilisation which benefits from the direct light and heat from their star. The biggest Planet on this Orbit is called Raimon, and it is where most of the Administration takes place. That's also their time reference: one Raimon rotation around the star = one year.

Aliea (also called "the Second Orbit" by people from the First Orbit): it is one big planet that also hosts life (probably originated from the Inazuma civilisation too, as they all have evolved a bit differently, but they all look "human"). It is very dark, and very cold, because all the planets from the First Orbit are hiding their star's light, which means it is always the "night" there. They are a bit more scientifically advanced than the First Orbit, but less than the Inazuma Civilisation. They cannot use magic at all. They are constantly searching for some source of energy to power their engines and ships, but since they have very little light and heat, it is rare. The population is overall: not fine, and the government is quite authoritarian.

Since Aliea's orbit is not circular, there is a point, when it is the closest to its star, when it is close enough to Raimon for their atmospheres to merge. It happens once every eight Raimon years, and it is always celebrated with what they call the "Merging Ceremony". Because none of the people in this solar system have figured out how to travel in places where there is no atmosphere, it is the only time when the First and Second Orbits can communicate at all. The ceremony starts when the spaceships from Aliea land on Raimon. Then, there are dances, parties, traditions, flower offering... They happily celebrate for a few days, before they have to part again for eight more years.

The main characters and where they come from

It's all written here in these reference pics. There are also a few hints about their roles in the story >:)

And a last little thing because this post is getting way too long: in this story, colors matter! If you see in some of my drawings that some characters are coloured in slightly different ways, it might not be a coincidence >:) (you can't see it well in these references, but in my most recent drawings, I've been trying to make it more obvious.)

[thepunkmuppet]

thinking about an alternate season 7 wherein instead of every potential slayer being hunted and then activated, every past slayer gets brought back to life. I don’t really like post-chosen content anyway, but when I do read / look at it the whole slayer academy, everyone’s a slayer thing is really stupid to me ngl 💀

previous slayers, though… nikki wood and xin rong interacting with spike, actually finding out about the slayer before buffy, slayers with different backgrounds and situations and personalities, KENDRA?! I just love it so much.

you’d be able to focus on a relatively small cast of slayers, much like the potentials, throughout the season. this would include buffy, faith, kendra, nikki, and some other american slayers from varying time periods with a couple interesting international characters too (maybe a slayer from ancient greece / rome / egypt, or an anglo-saxon one or something). these are all experienced slayers, so no need to focus on training - it would be more about lore, history and their personal character journeys, assimilating them into society (creating some fun bottle episodes, maybe a day out on the town with dawn and a historical slayer) and trying to figure out why they were all brought back. also, if you want to keep the first as the main villain, then it can look like any one of them because they’re all technically dead, which means you can still have that episode with the dead potential revealing herself as the first and all the mistrust that’s threaded throughout the season.

plus with nikki back, there would be no need for the stupid sleeper agent thing with spike or the ridiculous fight between him and robin. all the same ideas (and the flashbacks to spike’s mum) could still be explored, and in a way better way imo.

I reckon the reason they were brought back would probably be the powers that be (tying nicely into angel ofc) trying to defeat the first. and of course the ending would be this huge battle, as all the slayers from around the world come to sunnydale, and maybe to add some drama they would all disappear and die again when the battle’s done as they have fulfilled their purpose (a classic finale knife to the heart that would have everyone sobbing, especially over nikki and kendra).

there’s also the added thing of like,, I appreciate the show was leaning towards a theme of “hope for the future” with the potentials angle, but literally every other aspect of the season is about harkening back to the past. faith, robin, the first taking the form of previous characters, the high school, the slayer origins, etc etc. so I just think this idea would work so much better with the themes of the season, and tie in really nicely.

and the most obvious perk of this concept is kendra! she was forgotten about so quickly, and this season would really give the writers a chance to redeem themselves for the terrible way poc characters have been treated throughout the show (ignoring what they did to robin. FUCK that but that’s another conversation). I think the show really downplayed how much kendra’s death would have affected buffy, and seeing the two of them interact after buffy has changed so much and kendra’s still the same would be amazing. there’s also the interesting concept that, having been brought back from the dead, kendra still be 17, and therefore closer in age to dawn than to buffy, which could make for some really nice interactions between the two of them. also of course the biggest most exciting thing is having buffy, faith and kendra all interact. they all represent places on a spectrum in terms of personality, and I would LOVE to see kendra and faith interact and how much of a unit they would likely become as a trio.

there’s also the theme of buffy feeling (and being) alone in this season that would hopefully go away, as she would now have dozens of people who truly understand her, giving her a proper support system which I would love to see (season 7 scoobies can actually eat shit btw <3)

so. was this born out of my hatred for insufferable kennedy and the annoying potentials? yes absolutely. do I now want them to rewrite and re-film the entire last season 20 years later? yes absolutely I’m so glad you understand

side note wouldn’t it be sick if in the final battle there’s just this one slo-mo shot where buffy stakes a vamp and through the dust she sees the first slayer looking at her from across the battlefield before she disappears amongst the fight. WHAT it would literally be awesome hello?!

also also other side note sorry but Mother(TM) nikki wood would NEVER kick buffy out of her own house. fuck them kids fr

[sleepingdeath-light]

child reader getting turned to stone hcs ; dragon cookies

requested by ; shinydrakeon15 (10/09/22)

fandom(s) ; cookie run

fandom masterlist(s) ; hub | specific

character(s) ; ananas dragon cookie, longan dragon cookie, lotus dragon cookie, lychee dragon cookie, pitaya dragon cookie

outline ; “Could I ask for the dragon cookies with a child reader that got turned to stone by longan since they’re a cookie? If you wanna add longan as well that’s fine with me”

warning(s) ; child getting turn to stone, grief, some other general angst

none of the dragons could say what had caused their attachment to you, but they certainly had their theories — lotus dragon cookie believed it was something to do with biology (the need to protect their young), lychee dragon cookie thought it was just a matter of you being adorable, ananas dragon cookie blamed pride (the need to prove themselves as powerful by protecting something as fragile as a mortal child), and pitaya dragon cookie didn’t care enough about underlying reasons to hypothesise about any

not that any of that affected how they treated you, of course, because at the end of the day you were their child and they all adored you in kind regardless of your origins

pitaya dragon cookie’s time with you was spent being playful and adventurous — flying with you in their arms, play fighting with you (and sometimes even letting you win), tossing you up in the air and carrying you under their arm, and just generally doing whatever they can to have you positively shrieking with laughter

lychee dragon cookie is by far the most affectionate member of your new family — smothering you with hugs and kisses whenever you visit their island, bragging about how you’re ‘the most adorable child in the world’ to anyone who will listen, happily resting with you curled up in their arms even when they’re actually quite busy, and generally being a very doting parental figure who loves you more than anything else

lotus dragon cookie does whatever they can to ensure you are set up for a successful life as you grow up: hiring the best tutors for each subject from across the world to ensure that you only get the highest quality of education mortals can offer, using their servants to make sure you keep on top of your studies between sessions of lounging and play, offering their own insights into subjects like history and biology when asked, offering dozens of rewards and incentives for every success, and just generally being an incredibly supportive figure in your life despite coming across as a bit overbearing at times

ananas dragon cookie, meanwhile, instills a strong sense of pride within you and never misses an opportunity to spoil you rotten and show you how much better you are than other mortals: covering you in jewellery and fancy clothes, buying you any toy you ask for the moment you mention it to them, paying for grand outings to fun places around the world, making sure you have as many enjoyable experiences as possible as you grow up, and encouraging you to look down on others whenever you come across them (the other dragons also share that view, they’re just a bit more subtle about it around you)

really you were set to grow up loved and educated and understood in your found family of dragons… until longan dragon cookie found you

until they saw you all on your own, a tiny fragile mortal in the realm of the silver dragon

until they decided to deal with you in the way that they deemed the most appropriate for such an ‘offence’

until you were turned to stone before you could even blink; the eternal child frozen before you even had the time to scream, expression contorted with the beginnings of a terror you never truly got to experience or perceive

until your life came to a sudden, bitter, cold end — just another statue amongst the hundreds that adorned their lair

… your family never was the same after that unforgivable offence, after losing you because of some stupid oversight that led them to bring you with them to that meeting (because, surely, between the four of them they should have been able to keep you safe… should)

they blame themselves, blame each other, and of course are all furious with longan — which leads to them all burning their bridges and going in their own directions to grieve

lotus and lychee have support systems in their followers and, whilst they never truly get over their loss, they are able to live with it afterwards as the centuries go on

ananas returns to their isolation and becomes much more volatile and violent to any mortals that try and approach their lair, grief turning to anger as they relive that day over and over again — they are the one that took what remained of you after the fact and they keep on talking to it in the hopes of bringing you back one day

pitaya leaves everything behind and starts a new life in another kingdom, abandoning their draconic body and becoming an adventurer to avoid their grief — and they do so very well until they run into hollyberry cookie and her companions and end up face to face with a young hatchling that needs to be cared for

a child, so like you and yet so very unlike you at the same time, that forces them to finally face their grief and it breaks them — they are distant in their help with snapdragon cookie but they do offer advice when asked, but it doesn’t hurt any less when they see them and see your excitable face in their own

it hurts, but they will live on no matter how impossible that seems to them in the present

none of them outgrow your loss and they all grieve you and the life you should have had, but that grief manifests differently for each of your family members: pitaya leaves their old life behind, ananas festers in their grief and refuses to leave the past in the past, lotus adapts their grief and grows from it by doing things in your honour, and lychee becomes more isolated and reliant on those under their control to fill the void you left — all different, all separate, all grieving

except for longan, of course, who feels nothing for the life they took for they didn’t know or care to know of the impact that life would have despite how short it had been

you were loved

you are loved

you will always be loved

even if that love changes and grows in your absence

[zipstick-writes]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The X-Files Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Original Characters Additional Tags: Animal Transformation, Case Fic, Season/Series 05, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, probably (i havent figured out the whole plot yet. so), putting the fox in fox mulder, (im turning him into a fox. for silly reasons), Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary: “Five people gone and not a single witness testimony, nor a shred of evidence, that suggests where they might be, who or what might have taken them, or if they were even taken at all. Any theories, Scully?” - Five people in a small rural town in Colorado have gone missing under mysterious circumstances within a week of each other. The local PD suspects a serial kidnapper, but Mulder believes that something more supernatural is at play. Mulder and Scully fly out to investigate, but it's not long before one of them befalls the same fate.

damn im posting a fanfic for the first time in ummmmmm like 4 years? hahaha anyway hi x files fandom

tagging @today-in-fic

“Animal transformations.” 

This is the phrase that greets Dr Dana Scully the second she walks through the door of the glorified storage closet in the basement of the Hoover Building that is the X-Files division of the FBI, on what would otherwise be an unassuming mid-June Monday morning.

“Run that by me again?”

“Animal transformations, Scully.” Says Mulder from beside the projector, and Scully knows from the excited look on his face and the dimmed lights in the room that she is in for one of his world-famous slideshow presentations. “Stories of humans turning into animals exist throughout history and transcend cultural borders. Dozens of stories in Greek myth of gods turning humans into animals, the Norse god Loki becoming wolves, horses, birds, the selkies of Celtic mythology which shed their seal-skins and become human. There’s also the Japanese Kitsune, powerful shapeshifting spirits which take the form of foxes! Not to mention the classic vampires turning into bats and men that become wolves in the light of the full moon.”

“Of course. Werewolves. How could I forget.”

“Precisely, Scully. Werewolves.” Mulder has a self-satisfied grin on his face, and he continues: “The phenomenon also appears in literature. I take it you’re familiar with the works of Shakespeare?”

“In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, when Bottom is turned into a donkey?”

“Right. And in Kafka’s Metamorphosis,” Mulder continues, flipping to a slide of an illustration depicting a giant insect lying on its back in a tiny bedroom, “when Gregor Samsa becomes a beetle because of the overwhelming stress from the demands of his employer and his family. Humanity is obsessed with shapeshifting, has been for millenia.”

“While it is endlessly enlightening to learn about the common threads that unite our species’ storytellers throughout time, Mulder,” Scully says in a flat voice with an exaggerated sigh, “what exactly is the point of all this?”

“The point, Scully,” He replies immediately, drawing out his pause for several moments for dramatic effect, “Is that tales of human-to-animal transformations exist all across the world, and have existed for just about as long as humans have. And these stories have to have started somewhere.”

Oh boy, here we go, Scully thinks. Couldn’t he have waited until I’d had some coffee? It’s barely 8 o’clock in the morning.

“Oh, Mulder, please, don’t tell me you’re suggesting-”

“Lightalley, Colorado is a small mountain town about two hours west of Denver by car. It’s known for picturesque views of the landscape, popular hiking trails, and, most recently,” he says, and flips one slide further to a missing persons poster, then another, and then three more, “several disappearances under mysterious circumstances.

“Freya Pennington, 33, was last seen eight days ago, on the 14th, in the backyard of her own home. Her fiancé, George, says she was there one moment and gone the next, and he reports hearing no sound to indicate that she was in distress even though he was in the kitchen facing the yard when she disappeared. Harley Williams, 27, is a recently qualified medical doctor. He lives alone, and his disappearance was only reported to the Lightalley Police Department when he didn’t show up to work at the local hospital on Tuesday. Edward Irwin, 49, and his daughter Ellie, 17, are tourists from New York who were last seen on Thursday leaving their hotel and heading in the direction of a hiking trail. Sydney McIntosh, 21, works at a bar and was last seen by her boss, Daniel Meyers, leaving her work at 1 o’clock on Friday morning at the end of her shift. Crime scene technicians have examined the locations of their last known sightings thoroughly and turned up nothing. No blood, no weapons, no DNA samples, not even the victims’ possessions. None of the victims have connections to one another, and none of the disappearances happened within two miles of each other.

“Five people gone and not a single witness testimony, nor a shred of evidence, that suggests where they might be, who or what might have taken them, or if they were even taken at all. Any theories, Scully?”

“Well, it could be that they left of their own volition, however this many people disappearing in this short a timespan makes that rather unlikely. Perhaps there is a serial kidnapper at work here, but given that the first victim’s partner was at the scene and didn’t see or hear anything, that could be discounted as well, or in the case of a kidnapper the first disappearance may be unrelated to the rest. I really couldn’t tell one way or the other without speaking to the local PD. But I’m guessing you had your own theory ready before I even walked in the door, didn’t you?”

“You know me, Scully, always prepared.” He replies, smiling. “While it is true that Lightalley PD’s forensics team didn’t find anything that suggested a struggle, indicating that kidnappings were unlikely, that doesn’t mean they didn’t find anything. At each location, there have been footprints leading away.”

“Footprints belonging to who?”

“Not who, Scully, what. Animal tracks, in every case leading away from the crime scene, but not towards it. As if they simply came into being right then and there.”

“Animal tracks.”

“Absolutely, Scully. Victim #1, a rabbit. Victim #2, an elk. Victims #3 and #4, coyotes, two sets of tracks alongside each other. And victim #5, some sort of large bird, perhaps a raven, which end a few yards away from the bar, implying takeoff.”

“Mulder, please don’t tell me you believe these people were somehow transformed into animals.” She says, halfheartedly glaring at him. When he responds with a shrug of his shoulders and a mischievous grin, she just lets out a resigned sigh. “Alright, what time do we leave?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” is Mulder’s reply as he hands her a plane ticket. “We leave at seven tonight. See you there, Scully.”

Scully’s just glad the packing means she gets the rest of the day off.

[desiring-ruby]

What If: ZZZ cast plays D&D (Part One)

An Imagine

Note: I haven’t include all the characters and other fractions because either 1. I didn’t play their agent story yet or 2. I don't have them where I can do their trust events to know them more. Or 3. I’m lazy to think more. I will make a part 2 in the future after researching a little bit more. Some may be inaccurate or ooc.

Phaeton

The two siblings decided that around almost every weekend they set up a game of Dungeons and Dragons in their little “humble” video store, Random Play. They thought it would be fun to unwind and get to know each fractions that they invited but who knew that these players' unique personalities would become interesting when transferring into in-game? Of course, it was chaotic when controlling and keeping in check the different parties on each weekend. It will be impossible to get everyone to play the same time however, so they only result to do one or two fractions at a time with an interesting homebrew one shot.

Belle/Wise: As the Dm and Co-DM. Depending on who you pick, they are the main dungeon master controlling the strings of the puney parties meanwhile the Co-Dm helps with writing. Sometimes whenever they tired, someone else takes over the game instead. However the siblings have two obvious different play styles. Belle being the merciless DM who puts mostly combat in her games meanwhile Wise the calming DM who mainly focus on the roleplaying aspects.

H.S.O.S.6

It’s honestly astonishing that the siblings even manage to get the very well-known Section 6 to play despite their busy schedule… but at the same time, while knowing them, it’s not that surprising. A perfect opportunity for their game of hooky (except for Yanagi, as she decided that it would be a good break for everyone from the constant workload.)

Asaba Harumasa: As the charming ranger. Taking the role of a Tabaxi who he based around his adorable cat at home. Of course, him knowing archery, he would obviously pick ranger (even if Seth tells him that’s the worst class he could do). He had played a bit of D&D before, during academy days before he became an executive officer. He was invited along with Seth one day but only played for a short time however.

Hoshimi Miyabi: As the heroic warlock. Taking the role of a shifter as it was most familiar to her being a fox tierian. It took a while to teach her how to play dnd and the whole premise of it. Many NPCs were afraid of her due to her origin that she chosen but she was able to prove to every one of her good deeds… well after staying in one place too long as she took on everyone’s requests to help fix their town after being raided by dozens of goblins.

Tsukishiro Yanagi: As the intellectual wizard. The only human in her party. With powers like these, she could get everything done. But of course, she always has to remind her party about the main mission ahead as the others were stuck doing side quests after side quests by their own volition. She has to push them to do what is important, just like with real life when work needed to be done.

Soukaku: As an ever-so-hungry barbarian. A childish tiefling based on her oni origins. Just like Soukaku, her character is just as adorable as her. The party lets her get away with everything… even some accidental deaths here and there. Outside however, she is the type of player who always asks for a snack break every 10 minutes after playing, so a house rule was made: Sokaku is allowed to eat anytime and whenever the players come to each session, they should bring their own snacks and have extras just for Sokaku.

Public Security

Even the police need a break at times after catching criminals every day. But to think they spend that break by playing D&D with the proxies? They even managed to get Jane to come along to play as it’s not often they hang out together due to having to keep up the act of a criminal.

Seth Lowell: As a caring paladin. Taking the role of a goody-two-shoed Dragonborn with a strong sense of justice. The stereotypical lawful good. He and Asaba had once played together during their academy days though it wasn’t for long until the group they played with got busy. Unlike Asaba though, he actually still plays D&D during his free time.

Zhu Yuan: As a reliable fighter, taking the role of a Halfling with a sense of justice too. Possibly the only player who doesn’t have even a remotely bad thing happen in her PC’s backstory. She gets easily flustered whenever she attempts to roleplay. You would think that she at least be decent due to being shown on TV sometimes but no. Her roleplaying is so bad that it’s hard to contain both the phaeton’s laughter.

Jane Doe: As a mysterious rogue. Playing the role of a shifty changeling. D&D was perfect for Jane when it came to making a character to play. It’s not like she doesn't already take up as many personalities. Even if her character may not have the same high deception as she has, the siblings decided to just give her an advantage due to how convincing she is towards NPCs.

Qingyi: As a poetic bard. Taking the role of a wise elf who lived for a very long time. She could speak in poems without everyone having to look so confused every time she did in real life. Surprisingly, she had played dnd before. With the old folks when it used to be popular in their youth. Despite the current edition being different from the past, she still was able to pick up the rules.

Stars of Lyra

In disguise, they visited Phaeton but stumbled on them working on a game. The two siblings explained that they were setting up a D&D game. Astra, wanting to get away from the industry for a moment volunteers to play. It took some convincing for Evelyn to join until she gave in because Astra seemed happy to try out.

Astra Yao: As a melodic bard, taking the role of a beautiful elf entertainer who just wants to make everyone happy. Almost everyone at the table was amazed by her roleplaying skills… but who will have to guess since she is also an actress who’s good at her job. Her chaoticness sometimes causes her to get in trouble when it comes to enemies. This was the most fun she had since a while.

Evelyn Chevalier: As a protective sorcerer, taking the role of a human bodyguard who’s always at Astra’s side at all times. Her roleplaying act can get too real at times the way she would scold Astra about her wrong choices during in game. Especially whenever she accidentally gets herself in danger. She thinks D&D is silly but deep down she was having fun.

[amaru2020]

Color theory in Mean Girls 2024 (and 2004) and why it matters (long post ahead)

So, like a lot of us, I've seen and fallen down the Mean Girls rabbit hole, and say about the outfits what you will, the costume designs actually did a great job displaying symbolism in characters like Regina and Cady through color alone, let me explain

Random Disclaimer: I'm aware that a lot of what I'm about to talk about was utilized in the original, I'm mostly pulling pictures from the newest version since it's the main focus of this post. There will be mentions of the original, but the newest iteration is my main focus today ^^

Let's start with the film's use of Black

Now, we know in Regina's first appearance in the original, she's first seen wearing pink like the rest of the plastics and doesn't wear black until much later in the film (which I will get to don't worry lol) but what's different with this newest version and what I find interesting, is the decision for Regina's introductory outfit to be entirely black.

now you could be saying, "But Amaru, black is sexy, seductive, of course she'd be wearing it." And you're right! But, black also has some different meanings outside of that, which is power.

The first time Regina walks in, time stops. Everyone's eyes are on her, Cady is in awe, and to sum up the musical number, Regina has complete control over everyone. It's seen again when she sits amongst Karen and Gretchen,, but Regina stands out as the only one wearing such a bold black outfit, signifying her control over the two of them. And not to mention the second she gains even more control over the school by creating an entirely new fashion trend, she's wearing an entirely black dress

Now let's talk about the color, Blue and how it ties in with Black

So, when Regina falls from grace and is shunned from the plastics, notice that it's the first time she wears blue. Blue has about a dozen or more different meanings, but the one I'm gonna focus on now is that Blue can be seen as both a conservative and depressed color

Everyone's eyes are on her in this shot, but this time for a completely different reason than in the beginning, and because we brought up how blue can be conservative, we could read this as Regina not only being upset but not wanting to be perceived.

Let's circle back around to Black and why it's important with Cady

The first time she wears black is when she takes over Regina's role within the plastics and makes the final decision on whether or not Regina can sit with the group. Yes, she's wearing blue, which we will also get to, but also wears a black skirt. It's the color palette she wears for the entire second act.

When she's seen wearing all black, it's at her house party while having reign over the plastics and taking the title of the most popular girl in school. It's also when Aaron calls her a clone of Regina, and Janis confronts her about lying. There she has the realization that she has indeed become Regina.

Remember what we talked about with Regina with Blue? Well, let's apply that same logic to Cady.

During a rewatch I noticed how that during "World Burn" and the scenes that follow, Cady is shot from the waist up, only showing the blue part of her outfit, whenever someone brings up the book, or she thinks Janis and Damian are onto her, or even when they ignore her in the gym, you can only see the blue. (Yes, you could argue the angle was used in other shots, but this felt more deliberate, especially with how much the blue stood out against the otherwise dark color palette of other students and the background) Which from before we established as conservative. meaning that not only does she not want to be perceived by Regina, but as the one who wrote in the Burn Book in the first place.

Okay, let's go back to Regina one more time, and talk about her more prominent black outfit, during "World Burn" and when she releases the book for the school to see and causes a riot. (This is also being applied to the original as well)

Since we've established black is a symbol of power, we can see as more chaos descends on the school (as also seen in the original) Regina is placed in the middle of the crowd, all in black. It shows how she has control over people once again through manipulation. Therefore, showing that she's back on top.

And that's it, everybody! Thank you for coming to my TED talk

Sincerely,

someone who has thought about this waaaaay too much after doing extensive color research for a presentation and does a lot of character design

[autumnalwalker]

Hi Sage

Your characters go to a hat shop because for plot reasons they need fancy/silly hats to survive a Situation. What do each of them get?

Oh, this is a fun one! Going to imagine that the Situation is the hypothetical “Attend a fancy party to infiltrate the host’s mansion and discretely liberate something/someone from the host,” episode plot that I’ve been wanting to do as an excuse to put everyone in fancy outfits but haven’t figured out a good place to insert into the timeline yet.

Ashan: He’s long made a point of not wearing a hat as part of his wizard ensemble as a means of stylistic divergence from his mentor whom he otherwise dresses like. Alas, Sullivan has talked him into wearing a suit instead of robes for once in his life (still the same white color scheme), but he doesn’t know how to not Be A Wizard at all times, so he goes all in and compensates for lack of wizardly robes with a pointy hat with a brim half as wide as he is tall. He justifies his selection by pointing out that keeping his face semi-obscured will be beneficial if they’re going to be doing activity that they may not want traced back to them.

Lacuna: Originally planned to go for something tastefully low-key, but after seeing Ashan make his selection goes for the most gothic witch hat she can find. Alterations will need to be though as by this point she finally has a handle on transmutation magic and intends to show up to the party with cat ears. The milliner is both an eccentric and a mage (perhaps a redundant combination of descriptors) and by the time they’re done with the “alterations” the hat Lacuna picked out for herself is no longer so much a hat as it is one of those hat-shaped fascinators that stick to the side of your head.

Eris: After being assured multiple times that violence is going to be actively avoided on this mission, she’s excited to get to wear something other than red for once. Rather than a true hat, she goes with a hooded veil that matches the dress that’s been commissioned for her for the occasion. Taken together with the teal/blue color scheme, the effect whenever she moves is something like watching a swirling pillar of water glide across the room, as if she were some sort of waterfall spirit rather than a human garbed in probably-enchanted cloth. I’ve got the visual comparison between cloth rippling over muscles with water flowing over rocks stuck in my head.

Sullivan: He already has a hat and outfit, so he’s just here to foot the bill and provide commentary on everyone else’s fashion sense. When he gets home he’ll go pull his old tiara out of storage. Not the one he had as a kid - he pawned that one off ages ago when he first ran away from his parents’ castle with Road - but the one his wife, Carnette, gave him as a gag gift after she found out he was technically probably still royalty. Given that he married the most powerful sorceress across multiple worlds, even a joke gift from her is enchanted (probably literally) to hell and back. It’s a gaudy eyesore, made worse by the knowledge that all of the jewels and precious metals used in its construction are completely real and worth more than the most people would ever even dream of making in a dozen lifetimes. He finds it hilarious, and the pleasure he takes in watching people try desperately to keep a straight face and pretend it’s not ugly borders on sadistic. This also, of course, utterly ruins the point of everyone else’s selection of headgear that at least partially obscures their faces, and he absolutely knew it would but said nothing while watching the others pick their hats.

Road: Will be pretending to be a servant/caterer/house staff/etc. to sneak in and thereby avoids the need to purchase a hat. In a pinch though, they can just have their shapeshifting symbiote jacket turn into an outfit with a hat, in which case they would probably just copy the look of one of the other guests’ hats.

[sideprince]

This is what makes Pettigrew such an interesting character tbh! According to Sirius:

‘Just before he transformed,’ said Black. ‘When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I’d betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself - and sped down into the sewer with the other rats …’

Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch. 19

Pettigrew didn't just kill twelve people. What I mean is, the manner in which he killed those people says a lot about his character. He didn't serial-murder them in a deliberate way, he didn't line them up and take them out one by one, he didn't even target a specific building with certain people in it.

He blasted the street apart with his wand behind his back. He didn't look where he was aiming. He didn't look at who might be in the way. We don't know if he had a reasonable sense of the extent of the destruction he was causing or if he even knew there were any bystanders who would be hurt, let alone killed.

Was he panicked and acting without thinking, running down into the sewer afraid both of the law and of himself? Did he spend a significant period of time coming to terms with what he'd really done? Or maybe he ran from Voldemort's followers now he had no ally in Voldemort whose downfall they'd hold him responsible for, as well as from the law, not knowing how many people he killed, or that he'd killed any, and only found out later by reading an old Prophet in a bin. Was it his guilt that drove him back to Voldemort, the desperate need for validation he'd always had now magnified because he'd done something unforgivable?

Or was he fully aware of what he was doing, his move calculated, his peripheral vision telling him that a dozen people were within range of his blast, knowing that if he got away as a rat Sirius would be locked away for life for mass murder and the secret of his own betrayal would be safe? Did he get a taste of the power Voldemort wielded in the process and like it, having spent his life following others sycophantically, and now discovering what strength felt like? Is the reason he sought out Voldemort later that he had been chasing that high for years and was hoping Voldemort would give him the opportunity to feel it again? Only to realize when he did resurrect him that he didn't have the courage to wield that kind of power of his own volition with him around, and clearly didn't have it without him.

Even so, he killed Cedric without a second thought when Voldemort commanded him to. He prepared Harry meticulously for death when resurrecting Voldemort. He was ready to kill Harry and Ron at Malfoy Manor, if his silver hand changing course and killing Pettigrew is any indication of his original intentions. By the end of his life, Pettigrew was the person Voldemort used to do the dirty work like keeping prisoners quiet, the implication being that he was willing to murder and torture in the same casual way he killed Cedric. Yet he was also willing to be as brutal to himself, cutting his own hand off, an act of self-harm that goes against every human instict. Was it an act of self-preservation? He could have refused, turned into a rat and left Voldemort alone and friendless and gone to live under a false identity somewhere far away, but instead he chose to give his own hand to restore a master to power in the hope of gleaning some of it for himself.

I'm not sure the narrative tells us enough about Pettigrew to get a clear answer to his motivations or how his experiences informed his character arc, but he's interesting enough to raise all these questions!

I feel like this fandom never really talks about the fact that Peter Pettigrew murdered at least twelve people. Probably more (either directly or indirectly) while he was working for Voldemort. Like, everyone fixates on the fact that he turned traitor, that he was a spy and he got James and Lily killed and framed Sirius for it, and all of those things are absolutely terrible, but like... he murdered twelve people in cold blood. What Sirius went to Azkaban for was that murder, not for supposedly betraying his friends. Most of the wider wizarding world wasn't aware that the Potters had a secret keeper or that they'd been betrayed, they just thought that Voldemort had tracked them down, as he had so many others, and that was that. What Sirius was famous for was supposedly murdering thirteen people (twelve muggles + Peter) with a single curse. The mass murder was the big deal here as far as the rest of the world was concerned, and even without all of the betrayal, murdering twelve people on its own is still an absolutely horrific thing for Peter to have done, and nobody really seems to talk about it. He literally has so much blood on his hands.

[shiny-jr]

YES DO IT

Feed us this loser's simp who is committing mass genocide 😇😇

Also what do you think about those who hate him? Personally I don't really like it, because their reasoning are only because he was referenced to Frollo who is a racist character. Rollo and Frollo are not the same character, yet he was so badly hated despite being the greatest side character with powerful background and impact on the fandom that everyone now wholeheartedly agree to want him as permanent character.

So, I should first establish that I haven't seen the whole event yet. So there won't be too many spoilers, if any at all, and that I obviously won't be mentioning the things I don't even know about yet. I'll be putting my answer below the cut just in case, and because it's kind of a long response.

I've actually seen a lot of debate on this. I think a lot of people are uncomfortable with Frollo as a villain, and rightfully so, because he's a very realistic villain. Out of all of Disney's villains, Frollo is one of the most realistic and probably darkest one out there. But if people choose to dislike Rollo because he reminds them of Frollo, well, to each their own. But I think it should be mentioned that people have to remember, Rollo isn't Frollo.

Of course, as mentioned above, I don't know how much Rollo will resemble the original villain he's based off of in the end by his words or actions, because I haven't gotten that far into the event. If it is because of his actions in the event (that I will see later), I don't understand. Because if that's the case, wouldn't most players hate the dorm leaders plus Jamil? They've done horrible things in their chapters. Riddle nearly killed Ace. Leona nearly killed Ruggie and was willing to risk the wellbeing of a whole stadium of people. Azul stole and tormented and used dozens of other students and was ready to make mc practically homeless. Jamil probably had the intention to either seriously hurt or even kill Kalim and co, while keeping the rest of the dorm under his hypnosis. Vil was ready to kill Neige and those who tried to stop him. Idia assisted/allowed the kidnap of his classmates, destruction of his school, and tried to unleash countless overblot beasts that would wreck havoc all across the globe. And we know Malleus is somehow gonna top all that when his time comes.

Me personally, I think the reason I've gotten so attached to Rollo, is exactly because he's based off Frollo. I'm not saying I enjoy his character because of the actions of who he's based off of, but because Frollo is a very memorable villain to me. You see, I was raised in a very religious background (I am not religious anymore) that even extended to the school I attended when I was young. At that school, I was at the after school program nearly everyday. And during that program, at a certain time they'd play movies for us kids to watch. Since it was a religious school, they regulated what was shown, so we were only usually shown old disney movies or movies with religious themes. The two most popular were, I believe, The Prince of Egypt and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Which I guess is why I've immediately liked Rollo, because he reminds me of those days. But I digress. This is getting long, so I'll just end it here.

[uispeccoll]

Shaft and the Era of Blaxploitation

Last year, Special Collections and Archives at the University of Iowa Libraries acquired items to form a new collection: the Black Film and Television Collection. In honor of Black History Month, we’re shining a spotlight on a different item from this collection each week.

In last week’s post, we discussed the lobby card for Oscar Micheaux’s 1938 film Swing, starring Cora Green. Our next spotlight is on original materials from the 1971 film Shaft, which includes the script used in the production in the movie, which was a defining entry in the Blaxploitation genre.

What is “Blaxploitation?”

We’ll start with the obvious: the word itself blends “Black” and “exploitation” and was coined by Beverly Hills-Hollywood NAACP president Junius Griffin in 1972 and wasn’t in the context of praise.

Blaxploitation movies are made by black filmmakers with black actors for black audiences. They portray strong black characters who were the heroes and leads. During the mid- to early 1970s, more than 200 movies of the genre were made, in subgenres such as horror, westerns, comedy, drama, and action.

Rather than trying to dispel stereotypes, movies like Shaft reinforce them. And while the movies were popular with audiences, that approach did create some critics, like Junius Griffin and other NAACP members.

Exploiting a lurid loophole

The Hays Code ruled Hollywood from 1934 to 1968, enforcing a strict set of moral standards for films. But filmmakers tend to be creative people, and “exploitation films” were the loophole they chose. If they depicted these offensive (and entertaining) subjects under the guise of a cautionary tale, they could get away with including them.

Over the years, court cases and boundary-breakers chipped away at the Hays Code. In 1968—the same year most history textbooks mark as the end of the Civil Rights Movement because it coincides with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) scrapped the Code in favor of the film rating system. It was into these unique circumstances that a new genre—Blaxploitation—was born.

John Shaft’s world

Shaft is an adaptation of Ernest Tidyman’s 1970 detective novel, directed by Gordon Parks. Opening on an urban panorama overlaid with a funk soundtrack, the movie stars Richard Roundtree as John Shaft, a stylish and suave private detective in New York who is approached by the boss of a Harlem organized crime family (Moses Gunn) in search of his kidnapped daughter (Sherri Brewer). In the course of his mission, Shaft dispatches mafiosos, teams up with activists in the Black Power Movement, and delivers enough one-liners to cement his legacy as one of the iconic characters of 20th century film.

Even a brief glimpse at the original movie script’s pages (like the one shown above) showcase the swagger and bombast of the protagonist, who would go on to anchor multiple sequels. The movie’s iconic theme song, written and recorded by Isaac Hayes, has been sampled and reused dozens of times since the movie’s release, and the film itself has been preserved by the Library of Congress. It provides one of the early blueprints for the Blaxploitation genre, which continued to flourish throughout the 1970s.

It’s well worth noting that while Shaft’s director, stars, and core audience were Black, its writers were both white men. This information certainly complicates how many viewers receive the film’s representation of Black characters—and those complications became the focus of blaxploitation’s most vocal detractors.

Blaxploitation may have had its heyday in the 1970s, but it’s never truly ended. The genre was carried into the 21st century by the generation of filmmakers it inspired, including John Singleton, Spike Lee, and the Hughes Brothers.

Our next entry will be a look at Cheryl Dunye’s 1997 film The Watermelon Woman, and the growing influence of Black women in the film industry.

---Natalee Dawson, Communication Coordinator at UIowa Libraries with assistance from Anne Bassett, Liz Riordan, and Jerome Kirby

[wkemeup]

The Offer

summary: Zemo offers to sell the Winter Soldier in exchange for information. pairing: bucky x reader word count: 3k warnings: vaguely implied unwanted sexual contact a/n: this is based around the Madripoor scene in TFATWS ep 3, particularly Zemo’s suggestion of “he will do anything you want.”

“You must maintain your cover,” Zemo’s voice rang in your ear, drowning out the heavy bass of loudspeakers from the club down the hall. “If you break character, they will know... and they will kill us.”

You held your breath; arms folded tight across your chest, nails digging into the exposed skin on your biceps. It did little to ease the strain within your muscle as you watched Bucky standing guard at the edge of the room, his eyes overcast in a cold, emotionless haze. Ready for command. Empty of the needs and desire that made him human. Portraying the shadow from his past he was so desperate to escape.

Slowly, you shifted your weight on heels sharp enough to pierce skin. The clothes Zemo had dressed you in were unforgiving, exposing every dip and curve on your body, though you supposed that was his intention. You were meant assume the role of a wealthy arms dealer known only as Lilith, a woman whose reputation for the bedrooms of Madripoor outweighed even that of the weapons at her disposal. An affinity for the finer things in life, Zemo had snickered to himself. Sex, drugs, and power.

Bucky’s eyes shifted to the floor near your feet. You could tell he was watching you from his peripherals though his expression remained vacant. It was shocking to see him like this again, worse that he seemed to fall back into the role of the Winter Soldier so easily – like he’d never truly believed he could put his past to rest at all.

Zemo paced at the center of the room, discussing terms while Selby lounged on the couch. Her brazen comfort in a room of powerful agents on the dark market told you she had more leverage than any of you anticipated. You felt for the slight weight of the gun strapped at your thigh, keeping careful watch of the guards stationed just outside the door. The four of you were easily outnumbered and outgunned, even with Bucky throwing himself back to the Winter Soldier.

Sam caught your eye across the room, his face stern enough to communicate his uncertainty. He didn’t trust Zemo anymore than you did. The man was responsible for dozens of deaths, including the King of Wakanda, and he’d done the Avengers no favors by planting a seed of war between the most powerful people on the planet. You tried not to follow Sam's gaze when his eyes flickered to Bucky, a softening in his brow to see months of progress virtually erased within seconds.

“What’s the offer?” Selby’s voice broke through the haze. You hadn’t realized how focused you’d been on Bucky until you began to notice the music thumping through the walls and the scent of stale beer lining the floors – a disorienting state amongst precious stole artifacts and original paintings.

Zemo stood from his chair, crossing the room. He picked up a relic from the center table, admiring the shiny copper edges as he tossed it in the air. It nearly slipped from his grip and he shuttered out an apologetic wince at Selby before placing it back on the table. You rolled your eyes.

Adjusting the fur lined collar of his jacket, Zemo circled the edges of the room. He came to a pause over Bucky’s shoulder, gaze slowly trailing down his frame, tracing over the lines on Bucky's face as if he were studying for imperfections. A sinister smirk curled at his lips before he turned back to Selby.

“Tell us what you know about the super soldier serum,” Zemo bargained, waiting for her interest to peak before he continued. She shifted in her seat; a brow raised. His lips curved in a devious grin enough to make your stomach twist. “And we’ll give you him. Along with the code words to control him, of course.”

Bucky didn’t so much as flinch, his stare maintaining the same emptiness you saw the day on the bridge when he’d been muzzled by his captors and made to be a weapon. Nothing in his expression gave way to whatever was going through his mind and part of you wondered if he’d allowed himself so far into this role again, that he’d embraced the cold arms of the numbness it carried. It was easier than allowing himself to feel any of the rage that was rapidly boiling under your skin, you supposed.

But then, Zemo’s knuckles grazed at Bucky’s cheek. Lingering over unshaven stubble, a shadow along his jaw. A delicate touch though it seemed to burn as if steam could rise from the contact alone.

Zemo turned, grinning at Selby. “He will do anything you want.”

It was so impossibly subtle, you weren’t sure anyone else had noticed, but Bucky’s jaw clenched. The muscle shifted the shadows on his face, his breathing coming to a stop as his chest no longer carried the steady rise and fall under layers of leather and Kevlar. Zemo’s hand moved along Bucky’s jaw, fingers dangerously close to his lips, and you felt for the outline of the gun strapped to your thigh.

"Anything?" Selby inquired. Her tone was even though her eyes widened just enough, the dark of her pupils expanding as she glanced over Bucky's frame.

"When he is properly activated, the Soldier is incredibly–" Zemo paused, tapping the edge of Bucky's chin, "–eager to please. There's nothing else inside that brain of his except his mission. What that mission is, is entirely up to whoever recites the triggers."

“Fascinating,” Selby grinned as she slowly stood from her perch.

You followed her stride with every agonizing step towards Bucky. Just as she crossed in front of The Smiling Tiger, Sam’s gaze met yours. He narrowed his eyes, the slight shake in his head barely noticeable. He must have seen you reach for your gun – an instinct to protect Bucky from the demons of his past, a tangible weapon you hadn't been able to use against the monsters in his sleep. It took every ounce of your strength to relax away from the comforting metal.

You watched as Selby’s eyes roamed over Bucky – hungry, and like a vulture, she licked her lips. As she began to circle his frame, gaze trailing down from his shoulders, to his thighs, down to his feet, never once daring to meet his eyes, you found yourself inching closer. Bucky’s hand curled into a fist so tight his nails broke skin in his right hand, blood prickling at his palm. And still—his expression remained stoic, unfeeling. A paralyzing thought crossed your mind and you questioned if this dance was a familiar one – the art of being sold to another human being.

Selby paused as she faced him; examining the features on his face as if he were something other than human – a prize to be won, a possession to own, a trophy to show off.

“And he’s still in working condition? After all these years?” she inquired toward Zemo, standing so dangerously close to Bucky. His stare focused straight ahead, far beyond the wall across the room as if he could burn holes into the plaster.

"He's quite impressive," Selby murmured. Slowly, her hand reached towards his face.

Your grip was around her wrist before anyone realized you’d crossed the room. She flinched, startled by the vice-like hold wrapped around her wrist and a pained sort of whine escaped. She flexed her fingers and still, you held your ground.

“Is there a problem, Lilith?” Selby smirked, curiosity glaring as her eyes flickered between you and Bucky. You said nothing and yet, her lips parted in understanding. “Oh, I see. You control him. Don’t you, dear? He belongs to you.”

You tasted bile on your tongue – the very thought of owning Bucky as if his agency was not even in question made you sick to your stomach. Your grip tightened on Selby’s wrist and you would have broken it clean in two if you had the strength for it. But one look at Zemo and the cautious gaze upon his face, and you forced yourself to swallow back the venom in your mouth. You didn’t allow the disgust to touch your features or the shame to burn hot into your neck. Lilith would not be fazed by the selling of a weapon—even if that weapon were a man with heart so heavy, so full and so kind, he could hardly carry its burden on his own.

“Make your deal, Selby,” you hissed in an accident belonging to the weapons dealer you portrayed, “then, you can play with your toy. Until we have our intel, hands off the product.”

You released Selby’s wrist and she stepped back a few paces. She slid her left hand over the red marks forming over her skim, gingerly massaging at the area and still – the grin did not falter from her cheeks. Impressed, intrigued. She seemed inclined to ask you more about your bond to the Winter Soldier when you stepped in front of Bucky, blocking her view as she unabashedly stared down her hopeful new possession. Sam and Zemo exchanged a glance, though their expressions did not carry the weight their eyes did.

Behind you, you could hear Bucky exhale a heavy a breath, could practically feel as his fists released to be out of the woman’s eye line. It was short lived, of course, as all things in Madripoor were. A gunshot pierced through the window and lodged itself into Selby’s head.

***

You woke with a sudden start, the sticky smell of stale beer still on your skin as you jolted up on an unfamiliar bed. The room was vaguely a blur thanks to the pounding ache in the back of your head, but you could see enough to know it was not a place you recognized. To your left, the bed was untouched; sheets perfectly pressed as if they’d never been laid in at all. Glancing down, you saw you were still wearing the dress from the club, makeup smeared over your face and onto the pillows. You brushed at your cheeks to remove the mascara stains.

At the end of the bed, laid a fresh pair of clothes. Blue jeans and a black pullover. You sighed, pressing a hand over the soft fabric and bringing it to your face. It smelled of lavender and vanilla – fresh and inviting compared to the sweaty stale air of the night club.

The night before was mostly a blur. You didn’t remember much after Selby was killed; only Bucky’s hands on your waist, pulling you back towards the door as you tried to locate the shooter. You’d kicked off your heels and sprinted next to him in your bare feet – a man who could challenge the speed of moving vehicles and he was running in line with you and Sam while gunshots reined from every direction. Self-preservation was not a concept in Bucky’s vocabulary.

Your feet were bloodied by the time you caught your breath again and within the impossibly small moment you took to pause, an assailant had knocked you out from behind. Cold darkness. Instantaneously. After that, you could only catch vague memories of Bucky lifting you into his arms and Sharon Carter’s voice. But you hadn’t seen Sharon in years. Not since the aftermath of Vienna. The theory didn’t make much sense.

You felt along the dresser for your gun, only to find it empty. With a tired groan, you swung your legs over the edge of the bed, hoping you could find Bucky or Sam before you found trouble. Your feet were wrapped in bandages carrying a slight pink color on the soles – courteous of Zemo’s ridiculous heels you’d left behind the chaos and the mile worth of pavement you’d run barefoot on.

The chill of the hardwood floors was a relief on the undersides of your feet, but you hadn’t accounted for the dizziness from your concussion to take over once you stood. The room went dark and you began to sway, trying to feel for the bed behind you, when suddenly you hard footsteps rushing into the room.

“Hey, hey, what are you doing out of bed?” Bucky’s arms wrapped at your waist, holding you steady. He guided you back to the bed, helping you to sit on the edge as you regained your vision. He sat down beside you, keeping a hand on your arm to help ground you as you focused on the permanence of the room, the sturdiness of solid ground.

“What happened?” you sighed, pressing your palms to your eyes. Your head was still ringing from the blow you took the night before. When you finally allowed yourself to adjust to the sunlight in the room, you turned to face Bucky. He was dressed in a plan black t-shirt and jeans; his Winter Soldier attire hung in the corner of the room.

“Sharon happened,” Bucky chuckled with a short shake of his head. You thought you might be surprised at his answer, and somehow, you weren’t at all. Bucky softened, his fingers brushing at the hem of your dress. “You should change into something more comfortable. Sharon left some clothes for you but um... you were pretty out of it last night and I didn’t want to... um...”

“Thank you, Bucky.” You smiled at him as you placed your hand on top of his. You squeezed at his fingers, curling under his palm against your thigh. For a moment, you nearly lost yourself in the sunlit reflection of blue within his eyes – the delicate intricacies of a complex man. So impossibly sweet and kind in the daylight; cold as stone in the night under the guise of the Winter Soldier.

Bucky helped you to stand, giving you time to adjust to the sting of healing wounds on the soles of your feet. He turned his back to give you privacy, though he kept close enough that you could grab hold of his shoulder for support. He pushed the clothes down the bed for you to reach easily.

Slowly, ignoring the ache in your body, you slid the zipper down your spine, letting the dress fall to a heap at your feet. You tried not to notice how Bucky’s shoulders tightened at the sound, his stance a little less balanced at the fallen fabric. Gingerly, you dressed yourself in the jeans and pullover Sharon had provided for you, trying to stifle a wince as you shifted on your feet. Bucky’s head tilted at your whimper, his instinct fighting to turn to you, to help you, but he held himself still.

When you were done, you reached for the necklace at your bedside, one you hadn’t worn on the mission but you carried it with you wherever you went – the last token you had of a distant life before the Avengers. Sam had kept it in his pocket in Madripoor.

“Would you mind?” you called softly, tapping a hand against Bucky’s shoulder. He turned cautiously, almost timid in his movements, and you smiled at him as he held his hand out. The delicate gold chain dropped into his palm – a beautiful contrast to the black metal, in mirror to the detailing work along his shoulder.

Before you could turn your back to him, Bucky stepped closer. He held each side of the necklace in his hands and brought them around the back of your neck. This close, you could smell the bar soap he’d used that morning, you could see the lines of scruff along his jaw he hadn’t been able to shave.

When he clasped the chain, he stepped back slowly, but only enough to admire his work. He brushed your hair away from your collar, a ghosted smile on his lips at he touched the pendent at the center. This wonderful, beautiful man who learned to find comfort in touch again, who sought you out when it felt impossible to reclaim that part of him. Memory of the night before etched into your mind and you swallowed back the lump in your throat.

“Bucky?”

He smiled a little wider, focused on tracing his fingers along your jaw, brushing away your hair. “Yeah?”

“Do you want to talk about last night?”

Bucky paused, his touch upon you skin turning near to stone before he pulled away. The smile he’d worn slowly faded from his lips, the cold rush of reality piercing through the tender moment, and you hated yourself for being the cause of such pain. Bucky sighed, sinking down onto the bed, his hands gripped tight to the edge of the mattress.

“Not sure there’s much to say, doll,” Bucky exhaled.

You sat beside him, close enough for your thigh to brush in line with his. He looked down at the little space between you, his eyes fluttered closed at the contact – the grounding sensation of welcomed touch.

“You're not him anymore, Bucky,” you said softly, setting your hand over his own. “No one is ever going to control you or... or own you again, okay? They can’t make you do anything you don’t want to... not anymore. You’re free. You know that, don’t you?”

Bucky nodded, though it was slow, almost aching. He squeezed at your hand, pushing out a pained smile as he looked at you. “I do.”

You reached towards him with your free hand, cupping the side of his cheek where Zemo had touched him the night before. You traced your thumb over his jaw line, tingling over the short hairs on his skin. So beautiful and lovely after decades suffering under the hands of cruel men.

“You know I’d kill anyone who tried, right?”

Bucky chuckled at that and you were grateful to see the lines by his eyes again, the smile pushing bright into his cheeks. “Yeah, sweetheart. I know that, too.”

He leaned forward a pressed a kiss to your temple. Short and lingering and not nearly long enough. But it was welcomed and warm and enough.

—

Thank you so much for reading! ❤️ If you enjoyed this fic, please consider supporting me at my ko-fi account ✨

[bigskydreaming]

Honestly though, for the most part I’m still just always gonna sigh at future MCU movies with mutants, because they’ll be relatively condensed to just team ensembles given how big the MCU already is, and it just makes me go rawr about how WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALLLLLLL.

Like, I think a lot about just how damn MUCH Fox wasted the X-Men in all the years they had access to them. Their movies were so generic and confined, IMO, when like.....they had literally every opportunity to make their own version of the MCU, just as broad and containing just as many subgenres. The X-Men mythos is really that expansive. They could have built up an X-Men team, solo movie by solo movie, and then bringing them all together. I fucking DEFY anyone to say that there's something inherent in the characters of Tony Stark, Peter Quill, and Scott Lang that makes it possible to build entire franchises around them, but that the same isn't true for a good dozen different X-Men. Like just off the top of my head, the possibilities for solo movies for individual X-characters based just on their own unique backgrounds and niches: 1) Psylocke - before she was an X-Man, she was literally a supermodel slash spy. If you can't make 'female James Bond with psychic powers' work, you're not trying. 2) Gambit - everything about him and his character and his origins screams HEIST CAPER HEIST CAPER HEIST CAPER. Ocean's Eleven with Gambit recruiting a team of mutant criminals to steal something from Madripoor, while dodging assassination attempts from his ex-wife's relatives, etc etc. 3) Storm - you could easily make a movie with an epic fantasy tone around her, from her childhood as a thief in Cairo hunted by the mysterious and otherworldly Shadow King to her days being worshipped as a goddess in the Serengeti and now more than capable and ready to fight the Shadow King for the souls of her people. 4) Cable - Terminator style movie centered around the emotional core of Cable going back in time to save the world by saving his own parents from his twisted mirror self, Stryfe. If you don't want to mix clones and time travel streamline things by making Stryfe just a literal other version of Cable like they're each other's road not taken diverging from the same moment in time when Scott and Jean sent baby Nathan into the future to save him. 5) Magik - young girl kidnapped by demon sorcerer who over the course of years leeches her soul and innocence to empower his dark magics, all while she bides her time and learns from watching him, ultimately rising up to overthrow him by claiming the power he tried to steal from her and wielding his own spells against him. 'Nuff said. 6) Longshot - its 2022, how has nobody ever tried to capitalize on the character who was created to star in gladiator combat and rebellions that were real life to him while just being entertainment to others. He's literally The Hunger Games but with superpowers. 7) Bishop - if the Cable pitch doesn't work for studio execs, you've got Bishop waiting in the wings, ready to pop in and out of the timestream in pursuit of assholes from the future seeking to Kang the Conqueror their way to world domination. 8) Dani Moonstar - remix Dani's powers of illusions drawn from the psyche just enough that an accident with them draws her INTO the realms of myth and fantasy she usually pulls FROM. She discovers that everything is real somewhere, even places like Asgard, and now she has to find (or create) a Yellow Brick Road to lead her back home, crossing through battlefields of Valkyries, demon landscapes and more along the way. Alternatively, young mutant and aspiring pop star Lila Cheney accidentally teleports herself across the galaxy and has to find her way home, only to stumble into galactic superstardom via Guardians of the Galaxy style antics. Etc, etc. You could do something like Sage, Emma Frost or Monet St. Croix infiltrating the Hellfire Club at a young age and trying to navigate its complicated politics without losing her soul. Or family drama writ large as young mutants Chamber, Blink or even Nightcrawler, any of them possibilities for being abandoned at birth as obvious mutants, seek answers about their origins only to be plunged into operatic Wagnerian (pun intended) antics via their supervillain parent/ancestor Apocalypse or Azazel. Space adventures with any of the Summers kids learning honey, your parents were kidnapped by aliens. More epic fantasy possibilities with someone like Magma discovering their entire civilization is just a cruel immortal's toy and taking on Selene to save her people from her eternal manipulations. The possibilities were endless, and Fox was like, lol, nah, what if we just used the same handful of characters and also some robots to just like.....make pew pew noises at each others with their lasers. Like, love that energy, Fox. Good hustle out there.